Colorado

Kroger-Albertsons Merger Trial Concludes in Colorado; Decision Expected Soon | PYMNTS.com

Published

4 weeks ago

October 27, 2024

Kroger-Albertsons Merger Trial Concludes in Colorado; Decision Expected Soon | PYMNTS.com

Following a rigorous four-week trial, the highly anticipated $24.6 billion merger proposal between Kroger and Albertsons—the two largest grocery chains in Colorado—now rests in the hands of Denver District Court Judge Andrew Luxen. The upcoming ruling is expected to set a critical precedent for antitrust law and could have sweeping effects beyond Colorado.

In February, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser filed a lawsuit to prevent the merger, alleging it would infringe on state antitrust laws and pose “substantial harm” to both consumers and grocery workers across the state. According to Colorado News, Weiser’s office has voiced concerns that the deal could consolidate grocery options to an unhealthy extent, particularly affecting rural and mountain communities that already have limited access to food retail.

The core of the legal clash centers on Kroger’s acquisition of Albertsons, a move the grocery giant has justified as a necessary strategy to compete against large national retailers like Walmart, Costco, and Amazon, which have steadily increased their footprint in the grocery sector. Matt Wolf, an attorney representing Kroger, argued that the merger would result in benefits for Colorado shoppers, including “lower prices, higher pay for union and non-union associates alike, and cleaner, better-stocked stores for hundreds of thousands of Coloradans.”

“While Walmart and Costco and Amazon might be pleased with the state’s efforts today, grocery shoppers in Colorado will pay more and get less if the state has its way,” Wolf said during the closing arguments.

Kroger, headquartered in Ohio, and Albertsons, based in Idaho, collectively operate nearly 5,000 grocery locations across the U.S. and view this merger as a crucial countermeasure to the massive scale of retail giants outside the traditional grocery sphere. However, labor unions, consumer advocates, and Weiser’s team caution that further consolidation could lead to diminished competition, thereby raising prices, reducing wages, and eroding worker bargaining power.

Per Colorado News, one of the contentious points in court was the proposed divestiture plan by Kroger and Albertsons. To alleviate antitrust concerns, the companies have offered to sell 579 stores, including 91 Safeway stores in Colorado, to C&S Wholesale Grocers, a New Hampshire-based company with limited retail experience. C&S, primarily a wholesaler with just 23 grocery stores nationally, would be tasked with maintaining competition in markets where Kroger and Albertsons currently operate.

Colorado’s Grocery Workers Unite to Oppose $24.6 Billion Supermarket Merge

Critics argue that C&S lacks the capacity to stand up to the dominant Kroger-Albertsons combination, drawing comparisons to the ill-fated 2015 divestiture following Albertsons’ merger with Safeway. In that instance, the Haggen grocery chain acquired 168 stores but quickly went bankrupt, leading to the eventual reacquisition of many of these locations by Albertsons.

State attorney Arthur Biller voiced strong opposition to the divestiture plan, claiming C&S would be a “weaker competitor” unable to fulfill the critical role of maintaining competition. Biller cited testimony suggesting that up to 85 of the 91 divested stores in Colorado could be at risk of closing if the merger proceeds, a scenario that would further reduce grocery options in the state.

“It is in Kroger’s interest to have the weakest possible divestiture plan,” Biller argued, adding that the merger is less about competition with Amazon or Costco than it is about “eliminating Albertsons from the market and replacing it with a far inferior competitor.”

The lawsuit and trial followed a yearlong investigation by Weiser’s office, which included over a dozen listening sessions across Colorado. Concerns were particularly high in mountain towns and rural areas, where residents fear the loss of one of their few grocery options could result in higher prices and travel distances for essentials. The outcome of this trial could also have ripple effects nationally, influencing how similar mergers are handled in an era marked by rising concerns over corporate consolidation.

Source: Colorado News

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Colorado

Seeking Revenge Against the Capitals | Colorado Avalanche

Published

5 hours ago

November 21, 2024

Press Room

Seeking Revenge Against the Capitals | Colorado Avalanche

Colorado Avalanche (10-9-0) @ Washington Capitals (13-4-1)

5 p.m. MT | Capital One Arena | Watch: Altitude, 9News, My20, Altitude+ | Listen: Altitude Sports Radio (92.5 FM)

For the second time in six days the Colorado Avalanche will faceoff against the Washington Capitals. Colorado will battle to split the season series after a 5-2 loss at Ball Arena on November 15.

Soaring Past the Flyers

The Avalanche beat the Flyers 3-2 at Wells Fargo Center on Monday. Cale Makar posted his 10th-career multi-goal game and Casey Mittlestadt added a goal. Additionally, Mikko Rantanen recorded two assists and Justus Annunen made 24 saves. Following a scoreless first period, Makar opened the scoring with a wrist shot from the slot at 8:30 of the second period after receiving Nathan MacKinnon’s set-up feed. Makar thought he had his second of the game at 10:44 of the middle frame, but the goal was taken off the board due to a successful Flyers challenge for goaltender interference. However, Makar would eventually double Colorado’s lead on the power play with his eighth tally of the season at 15:08 of the middle frame with a shot from the point that deflected off a Flyers player on its way in. The Burgundy and Blue took a 3-0 lead at 8:34 of the third period when Mittelstadt dispatched the rebound created by Rantanen’s shot into the net for his seventh goal of the season. The Flyers answered with goals from Owen Tippett at 11:48 and Tyson Foerster at 13:32 to cut their deficit to one, but the Avs held on to secure their 10th victory of the season.

Leading the Way

MacKinnon leads the NHL in points (34) and assists (27).

Makar leads NHL blueliners in goals (8), assists (19), and points (27). He’s tied for seventh among NHL skaters in points and tied for fifth in assists.

Rantanen is tied for sixth in the league in goals (12) and tied for seventh in points (27).

History

The Avalanche are 18-20-4 in 42 previous regular-season games against the Capitals. Colorado is 4-1-0 in its last five matchups against Washington dating back to the 2022-23 season.

Winning Out West

The Capitals beat the Utah Hockey Club 6-2 at the Delta Center on Monday. Alex Ovechkin scored twice, and Charlie Lindgren made 24 saves. Utah opened the scoring with a goal by Jack McBain at 3:05 of the first period but the Capitals responded with tallies from Dylan Strome at 7:46, Nic Dowd at 7:56, and Ovechkin at 11:05. Ovechkin extended Washington’s lead to three with a goal at 5:38 of the second period before Nick Bjugstad scored for Utah at 11:44 to make it 4-2 in favor of Washington entering the third period. Ovechkin did leave the game midway through the third period with a lower-body injury and has been placed on injured reserve and ruled week-to-week. The Caps added two more goals in the third period from Brandon Duhaime at 7:30 and Aliaksei Protas at 9:56 to win 6-2.

Putting Up Numbers on the Potomac

MacKinnon has posted 28 points (11g/17a) in 20-career matchups against the Capitals including 11 points (5g/6a) in 10 road matchups against them.

In eight previous meetings with Washington, Makar has recorded six points (2g/4a).

Rantanen has registered 19 points (8g/11a) in 14 previous games against Washington including eight points (4g/4a) on the road.

Capitals’ Contributors

Strome leads the Capitals in points (28) and assists (22).

Connor McMichael is second on the team in goals (12) and third in points (19).

Aliaksei Protas is fourth on the team in points (18), third in goals (7), and tied for third in assists (11).

A Numbers Game

10

Makar became the first defenseman in franchise history to record 10 multi-goal games.

3

The Avalanche have three players (MacKinnon, Makar, and Rantanen) in the top 10 in points. No other team has more than one.

165

The Avs have registered 165 high-danger shots on goal, which ranks sixth in the NHL.

Quote That Left a Mark

“Juice is great. I think he’s been great all year. [He made] some big saves, especially at the beginning there…So [it was a] heck of a job from Juice for sure.”

— Casey Mittelstadt on Justus Annunen’s performance on Monday

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Residents rally to save Colorado Springs library on brink of closure

Published

13 hours ago

November 21, 2024

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Residents rally to save Colorado Springs library on brink of closure

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) – Hundreds of Colorado Springs residents showed up at the Pikes Peak Library District Board of Trustees meeting Wednesday night in a last-ditch effort to save the Rockrimmon Library.

The library is set to close December 1. This comes after the board voted to not renew the library’s lease due to financial issues.

In a statement posted on their website on November 8, the board called the decision to close Rockrimmon a difficult one.

“A library provides access to resources and materials to everyone in the community, so considering a closure goes against the grain of our hopes for PPLD. However, our District provides access to nearly 700,000 people across El Paso County. We must make decisions that sustain the entire District.”

More than 250 community members showed up to Wednesday’s board meeting to show their support for keeping the Rockrimmon location open with another 119 tuning in virtually.

Former Rockrimmon Library manager Steve Abbott said he was glad to see the turnout.

“It shows that the community will not give up and they are going to fight to keep this library open,” he said.

For most of the almost five-hour meeting, 43 speakers took turns pleading with board members to postpone the library’s closure, extend the lease another year, and reconsider their decision to close the library in the first place.

One of those who spoke before the board, Abbott said closing the library will leave a massive gap for the 30,000 people who live in the area.

“It leaves a big library desert in the Rockrimmon area,” he said. “For a child to use a library now, they’ll have to go over I-25, under I-25, over Academy, under Academy to get to a library, and it’s six miles away from where Rockrimmon was.”

Speaker and Rockrimmon resident Jennifer Walker said closing the library would also deprive the area of a much-needed community center.

“There is no YMCA, there’s nothing else,” she said. “This is where we meet other moms when we’re desperate to talk to another human being that’s not a toddler, this is where we go to work when we need a quiet space, this is where the elderly come to use the computer or to check out books.”

The fate of the Rockrimmon Library was not on the board’s agenda and those who left the meeting tell 11 News the meeting ended with no resolution.

Walker said residents are still exploring their legal options.

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Colorado

What’s the latest on the Colorado River negotiations?

Published

21 hours ago

November 20, 2024

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What’s the latest on the Colorado River negotiations?

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation released a breakdown Wednesday of five potential paths forward for the fragile state-to-state negotiations surrounding Colorado River operating guidelines that must be updated by 2026.

The Colorado River, which is Southern Nevada’s primary source of water, holds a precarious future as the basin experiences historic drought and state leaders disagree on how to deal with shortages. The range of alternatives is possibly the last major announcement about negotiations to come from the Bureau of Reclamation under the Biden-Harris administration.

“We have worked tirelessly over the past several years to bring Colorado River Basin stakeholders together for a transparent and inclusive post-2026 process,” Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton said in a statement. “Today, we show our collective work. These alternatives represent a responsible range from which to build the best and most robust path forward for the Basin.”

What to know heading into 2025

The breakdown between two coalitions of states, the Upper and Lower Basins, centers around whether the Upper Basin — Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming — should be required to take cuts to its water allocation past what’s known as the river’s “structural deficit,” or the 1.5 million acre-feet lost to evaporation and transport. The Upper Basin has argued that it takes too many cuts already because of its reliance on snowpack instead of big reservoirs.

The Lower Basin also has called for smaller reservoirs in the Upper Basin states to be included in discussions about cuts in water usage across the system.

Notably, one of the five alternatives is based on proposals from Native American tribes, calling for the government to account for undeveloped tribal water.

The acknowledgement of the ongoing duel between the Upper and Lower Basins is the “Basin Hybrid” alternative, which appears to fall somewhere down the middle of the two coalition’s proposals.

In a statement, Upper Basin Commissioner and Colorado negotiator Becky Mitchell said it’s too early to speak directly about the five alternatives from the Bureau of Reclamation.

“Colorado continues to stand firmly behind the Upper Division States’ Alternative, which performs best according to Reclamation’s own modeling and directly meets the purpose and need of this federal action,” she said.

The Lower Basin states of Nevada, California and Arizona didn’t immediately release a statement when the announcement was released at 1 p.m.

All seven state negotiators will convene in Las Vegas in early December at the Colorado River Water Users Association conference, where experts and officials will discuss what’s to come from negotiations under President-elect Donald Trump.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Contact Alan Halaly at ahalaly@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlanHalaly on X.

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