A Michigan Congresswoman is taking aim at stores she claims abruptly change prices depending on who is shopping.

U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib says big stores do more than use data to decide what coupons to send customers.

She alleges they consult security cameras and personal profiles, then adjust the cost of a given product.

Now the Detroit Democrat is introducing a bill in Congress to stop what she calls “surveillance pricing.”

U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib: (Interview edited for clarity.) These big grocery stores like Target and Walmart are using surveillance of the way we shop, our ethnic backgrounds, our income and creating personal profiles on us. So my bill would prevent and prohibit them from using these characteristics about yourself, your shopping patterns and so forth, to fix the price. Especially when they are primarily looking at whether or not you could afford a price hike. It bans electronic shelf labels in large stores where they can automatically change the price. If there’s a heat wave they might want to price gouge and increase the cost of water. Or maybe they know this is a product you have to buy, you buy it every single time, and they’re increasing the cost because they know you got a raise at work. Again, a lot of this is personal data and personal information that should not be used in deciding what the price is. Everyone should be charged the same no matter their background, the color of their skin, their income, their ethnicity, where they shop, things of that nature. And so, we’re trying to prohibit this.

QK: Companies use so much data now to have an algorithm to send offers or other things that they target to customers. In your view, how can the government enforce or ensure that they’re not using that data to charge different prices for different people?

RT: Right now there’s no enforcement arm. So the bill establishes an enforcement arm within the Federal Trade Commission to hold corporations accountable. Our neighbors are struggling. Many, many have seen up to a 28% increase in the price of groceries. These corporate grocery chains are feeding customer data into algorithms and using big tech to decide whether or not they’re going to charge us more. This bill makes that illegal. And it pushes the Federal Trade Commission to prevent price hikes based on what I believe are discriminatory practices and violating people’s privacy. Companies should not be allowed to use any of this information, including electronic labeling or personal information, to charge you higher prices.

QK: Companies will argue that they’re doing this because it’s what customers want. If you’ve always bought a certain kind of bread, for example, they’re going to send you all these bread offers. Are you able to do something that would stop price gouging while still allowing them to continue sending you the offers they think you’re going to want?

RT: Do you not believe these big corporations want you in the stores? They just want to be able to squeeze more money out of you. They send you the coupons because they know these are the items you buy. But they’re going to use electronic labeling and examine what apps you are on and use facial recognition to increase costs on you. Much of it’s going to be done without your knowledge. It’s about how far they can go in charging you and knowing that you can afford it because they looked up and created a profile that says this is how much they make. Or this is an item they need, because maybe this is a personal hygiene item they’re required to use. Whatever it is, no one’s gender, color of their skin, income or the location that they’re shopping at should be used in fixing the price.

This all started when the head of Pepsi was interviewed when prices went up during the pandemic. The cost of groceries just skyrocketed. After that people thought it would stabilize and the prices would go down. But in his comments, he said, “Well, no, we’re not going to decrease prices. The people are already getting used to it.” For many of my residents and families, that’s what they want us to push out against, this increased cost when it’s not needed. They want fair prices, not based on any of this personal information and data.

QK: If it’s not some kind of an antitrust situation, can Congress or the government actually have an effect on what prices companies set?

RT: Absolutely. We saw this with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. CFPB did this with the big banks, where we watched how they built their business plans based on junk fees. We saw how Delta Airlines was charging more for family units regarding seats. All of that to say you saw CFPB, which unfortunately is under attack by the Trump administration, go after student loan servicers, go after a number of these companies. They set up their business plan to be profit-driven without protecting consumers. Laws are in place for different kinds of price fixes and increases. But there’s no prohibiting using surveillance pricing to jack-up prices. That’s where our bill comes into effect, trying to give some sort of enforcement under the Federal Trade Commission to push back against those practices.

QK: Congress has battled repeatedly this year, in particular, about budgetary items and spending or cuts demanded by the Trump administration. In this kind of a climate, are you concerned whether your proposal can make it through that partisan maze?

RT: I think that there’s so many residents across the country that see price-fixing and gouging and increases on their families, no matter if they’re Republican or Democrat. They don’t see this as a partisan issue. And I’m hoping when they understand this is an invasion of privacy, that technology is being used in this way to hurt families, I really believe they’re going to reach out to their members of Congress and ask them to support something like my bill. To push back against stores that have already been under fire for increasing costs when there’s heat waves and when there’s desperation among the community that they’re in. I think there is going to be a big, very non-partisan way of approaching this issue that’s going to be seen outside of Congress and not based on party affiliation. It’s already a struggle for many of our families to get fresh food. The basic grocery store trip should not be something where they’re going to get scammed. That’s what we’re trying to prevent here.

Detroit unveils Dr. Ossian Sweet Memorial Park in East Village

Detroit held a ribbon-cutting Wednesday for a new educational park in the city’s East Village neighborhood.

The Dr. Ossian Sweet Memorial Park tells the story of an African American physician whose family was attacked by an angry mob after they moved into the then all-white neighborhood in 1925.

The home is owned by Danny Baxter, whose parents bought the property from the Sweets. He says it has been his dream since learning the history of the home to share its story.

“I was just impacted and fascinated by that story. And I went back into the kitchen to my mother, and I said, Ma, did that really happen? She said, Yes, baby, it sure did. I said, Well, Mama, one day, one day, I’m going to do something to make sure that everybody in the world knows what happened on the corner of Garland and Charlevoix.”

The events of that night led to the overturn of racially discriminatory housing policies in America. Detroit officials say the park is part of a larger effort to preserve important pieces of Black history.

Additional headlines

ACLU sues City of Warren over police beating of Black man

The ACLU of Michigan has filed a lawsuit against the City of Warren and several of its police officers on behalf of Christopher Gibson, a Black man who was beaten while in police custody.

The lawsuit alleges Gibson was denied psychiatric treatment after police were notified of his mental illness, and was later pepper sprayed, tasered and brutalized by officers.

ACLU Staff Attorney Mark Fancher says the city is liable because it failed to properly train officers to handle the situation.

“It also failed to make available resources and services that Mr. Gibson needed during a mental health crisis that was triggered after he had been in the company of a very close relative who was dying of cancer. Mr. Gibson has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, and the city also violated federal laws that ensure accommodations and non-discrimination for people with disabilities.”

Fancher says the case highlights the need for more training and mental health professionals in police departments.

In addition to the lawsuit, the ACLU released a 10-minute video using police body camera footage showing the extent of the abuse while Gibson was in custody.

A police spokesperson said they have not yet seen the lawsuit and could not comment.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib introduces bill to ban dynamic pricing based on personal data

Michigan Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib is introducing a bill to stop large stores from abruptly changing prices based on a customer’s personal data.

Tlaib wants to ban electronic shelf pricing, claiming some big grocery and department stores examine what customers look like, or what databases say about them, and then quickly adjust prices.

“It’s about how far they can go in charging you and knowing that you can afford it because they looked up and created a profile on you saying this is how much they make, this is an item they need. Gender, color of their skin, their income or the location that they’re at, all of that information should not be used in fixing the price.”

Tlaib says her bill would establish an enforcement arm within the Federal Trade Commission to police such practices.

Detroit launches residential compost program

Detroit’s Office of Sustainability has launched a compost program to reduce food waste, improve soil health and support local food production.

The program is funded by a $100,000 grant from Carhartt. The first 200 residents to register will receive a free five-gallon compost bucket and an optional countertop bin.

The pilot aims to divert up to 220 pounds of food scraps daily. To sign up, email sustainability@detroitmi.gov with “Composting Program” in the subject line.

Issa Rae is bringing book tour to Detroit

Comedian and star of HBO’s Insecure Issa Rae will be in Detroit on September 24 during her book tour for I Should Be Smarter by Now.

Tickets for the show at the Fillmore Detroit go on sale Friday on Ticketmaster. Presale tickets with the password MOTOWN are available now.

The book, scheduled for release August 26, is a collection of essays written by Rae and a follow-up to her first collection The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl.

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

In this episode of the Detroit Evening Report, we go over a new grocery bill sponsored by U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib, the demolition of the long-since-vacated Mammoth department store, and more local news.

Subscribe to the Detroit Evening Report on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts

Tlaib sponsors anti-price gouging grocery bill.

Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib is sponsoring a bill that seeks to stop price gouging in grocery stores.  The Detroit Democrat made the announcement this morning in front of the Wal-Mart at Ford Road and the Southfield Freeway.  Tlaib says Americans are stressed by rising food prices. 

Besides prohibiting price gouging, her legislation seeks to require food stores to disclose the use of facial recognition technology and ban electronic shelf labels in large stores. 

Mammoth tear down 

City of Detroit officials gathered in northwest Detroit on Monday…to begin demolition of the Mammoth department store.  The building – located at the corner of Grand River and Greenfield has been empty for decades. It originally opened as a Federal’s department store in 1949.  Previous demolition efforts were stalled because of legal filings.  The current owners had filed suit to delay the destruction of the building.  A judge’s order preventing demolition expired last week. 

During a news conference at the site, Mayor Mike Duggan said he knows neighbors are relieved that the long-standing eyesore is being torn down. 

“Well, I know that for the neighborhood here, this has been a long time coming.  I think my first month in office, Councilman James Tate said to me, ‘This is a prime corner. It should be providing shopping for the neighborhood.  And because of this long-abandoned building, it’s actually taking the neighborhood down.’” 

Officials say the demolition should be completed sometime this fall. 

Casino revenue report

Detroit’s three casinos brought in 107 million dollars in revenue last month.  That’s down slightly from July 2024. 

MGM Grand continues to hold the lion’s share of the market with nearly 48 percent.  Motor City controlled 30% and Hollywood Casino at Greektown had 22% of Detroit’s gambling market.  Together, the three casinos generated $12.6 million in taxes and wagering agreement payments for the City of Detroit.  They provided another 8.6 million dollars in taxes to the state of Michigan. 

Dearborn School Board seeking new member

Trustee Irene Scott is moving out of the district, leaving a vacancy.  Applicants for the appointed position must be U-S citizens who are registered to vote and are living in the Dearborn School District.  Applications must be submitted by August 25^th. 

The district says the new appointed member of the board will serve until elections take place in November 2026. 

Help shape Belle Isle with a survey

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources wants to know what you think about the future of Belle Isle.  The department – along with the Belle Isle Conservancy – is asking Detroiters to take a survey to help select priorities for improvements on the island. 

The current list of possibilities stands at 11.  Items on the list include extending the beach, creating a park café, and rebuilding piers and docks on the island. Several other improvements are already underway, including a renovation of the James Scott Memorial Fountain.

Residents can take the survey on the DNR’s website. The survey closes on September 8^th. 

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

In 2021 and 2023, parts of Southeast Michigan were inundated with rain. This led to storm and sewer water backing up into thousands of homes in Detroit, Dearborn and Dearborn Heights.

Those cities did provide some financial relief, but federal money was largely hard to come by.

Now, the Fix Our Flooded Basements Act seeks to provide federal disaster relief for basements. Currently, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) doesn’t cover damage to basements or mold and mildew mitigation.

Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) introduced the bill along with Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) and Congresswoman Shontel Brown (D-OH).

“Water damage can ruin electrical systems, destroy heating and cooling systems, damage foundations and create long term health effects,” Tlaib said. “Especially the exposure of mold. It’s the biggest concern for many of us.”

The bill would also allow people to purchase flood insurance that would cover basement backups.

“The bill will also expand eligibility for FEMA group flood insurance policy,” Tlaib said. “It’s super important to ensure that FEMA would cover mold, mildew and moisture damage in basements.”

Donna Givens Davidson is the president and CEO of the Eastside Community Network.

Aging infrastructure on Detroit’s East side has led to basement flooding even from smaller storms, especially in the areas around the canals in the Jefferson-Chalmers neighborhood. Givens Davidson says passing this bill would be a measure of justice to Detroiters.

“This bill brings us closer to addressing the cumulative impacts of racist public policy over the years in places like the east side of Detroit,” Givens Davidson said. “It’s where senior citizens, where low-income people, are already living in homes they cannot afford to repair.”

Candace Aaron lives in the Franklin Park neighborhood. She remembers the nightmare of helping her father after the flooding.

“There was a lot of water damage, mold damage to the windows, damage to some of the foundation on the house, the roof,” Aaron said. “So I went and applied for FEMA to see what services my father would be able to receive.”

It turns out the nightmare of the flooding turned into one of bureaucracy.

Aaron’s father was denied mitigation services, but eventually received limited help.

“It wasn’t enough to cover the damage,” Aaron said. “It was very extensive in the basement and on the outside of the home. So I think that this bill would do better.”

As for the chances of the bill’s passage in a sharply divided Congress, Rep. Tlaib doesn’t see an issue.

“I don’t see any controversy or any opposition to this,” Tlaib said. “I mean, obviously some of my colleagues who want to eliminate FEMA will not probably support this, because it expands more FEMA coverage, but many of the people that I know I’ve spoken to on both sides of the aisle shake their head immediately and say, ‘Oh, this is a good bill’.”