Judge orders search shakeup in Google monopoly case, but keeps hands off Chrome and default deals
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal judge on Tuesday ordered a shake-up of Google’s search engine in an attempt to curb the corrosive power of an illegal monopoly while rebuffing the U.S. government’s attempt to break up the company and impose other restraints. The 226-page decision made by U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta in Washington, D.C., will likely ripple across the technological landscape at a time when the industry is being reshaped by artificial intelligence breakthroughs — including conversational “answer engines” as companies like ChatGPT and Perplexity try to upend Google’s long-held position as the internet’s main gateway.
Kraft Heinz undoes blockbuster merger after a decade of changing tastes
NEW YORK (AP) — Kraft Heinz is splitting into two companies a decade after they joined in a massive merger that created one of the biggest food companies on the planet. One of the companies will include brands such as Heinz, Philadelphia cream cheese and Kraft Mac & Cheese. The other will include brands like Oscar Mayer, Kraft Singles and Lunchables. When the company formed in 2015 it wanted to capitalize on its massive scale, but shifting tastes complicated those plans, with households seeking to introduce healthier options at the table. Kraft Heinz's net revenue has fallen every year since 2020.
Crash victims' families prepare to make what could be their final plea for Boeing's prosecution
Families that lost loved ones in two crashes of Boeing 737 Max jetliners may be getting their last chance to demand the American aerospace company’s criminal prosecution. A federal judge in Texas is set to hear arguments Wednesday on a Department of Justice motion to dismiss a felony charge against Boeing. The Justice Department revived the conspiracy charge last summer in connection with the crashes that killed 346 people off the coast of Indonesia and in Ethiopia. Although Boeing agreed to plead guilty, a Texas judge opposed certain aspects of the aircraft maker’s plea agreement in December. Prosecutors came back with a new agreement that took the charge and the plea off the table.
Anna Wintour taps Chloe Malle as Vogue successor — but she's still in charge
NEW YORK (AP) — Anna Wintour has named Chloe Malle as her successor as head of editorial content at American Vogue, ending weeks of speculation. However, Wintour remains the chief content officer for parent company Condé Nast and global editorial director of Vogue's nearly 30 editions around the world. The new appointee announced Tuesday will take over editorial and creative day-to-day operations at the U.S. edition of the magazine but will report to Wintour. Wintour's title of editor-in-chief is being retired. She will continue to oversee various other brands as well and remain involved in major events like the Met Gala. Malle is the daughter of actor Candice Bergen and the late French director Louis Malle.
Asian benchmarks slip after US stocks sink and Japan faces political uncertainty
TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares declined Wednesday, echoing a fall on Wall Street, as political uncertainty took centerstage in Japan, making for cautious trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Benchmarks fell in early Wednesday trading in Tokyo, Sydney, Seoul, Hong Kong and Shanghai. The fate of Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has been uncertain for weeks, with calls growing for him both to resign and to remain, after a recent election defeat and the rise of fringe parties. Confidence was rocked further when Ishiba’s ally, Hiroshi Moriyama, indicated he's resigning as party secretary general. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 slipped 0.7% for its worst day in a month.
Coming price cuts at McDonald's may signal a broader fast food price war
McDonald’s is cutting prices on some combo meals to woo back customers who’ve been turned off by the rising costs of grabbing a fast food meal. Starting Sept. 8, McDonald’s will offer Extra Value Meals, which combine select entrées like a Big Mac or an Egg McMuffin with medium fries or hash browns and a drink. Prices will vary by location, but McDonald’s said Extra Value Meals will cost 15% less than ordering each of those items separately. McDonald's and other fast-food companies have been losing lower-income customers after years of prices increases. That could lead to more U.S. fast food deals this fall.
OpenAI and Meta say they're fixing AI chatbots to better respond to teens in distress
OpenAI and Meta are adjusting how their chatbots respond to teenagers showing signs of distress. OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, plans to introduce new controls for parents to link their accounts to their teen's account. Parents can choose which features to disable and receive notifications if their teen is in distress. The company says ChatGPT will redirect distressing conversations to more capable AI models. An attorney for parents who sued OpenAI for the wrongful death of their teenager criticized the changes as insufficient. Meta also says it is blocking its chatbots from discussing self-harm and suicide with teens, directing them to expert resources.
Disney to pay $10 million fine after FTC says it allowed data collection on kids
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Walt Disney Co. will pay a $10 million fine to settle a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit alleging it allowed personal data to be collected on kids under 13, violating federal law. The FTC said Tuesday Disney violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA, which requires kid-oriented apps and websites to get parents’ consent before collecting personal information of children under 13. According to the complaint, Disney failed to properly label some videos that it uploaded to YouTube as “Made for Kids.” The mislabeling allowed Disney, through YouTube, to collect personal data from children under 13.
Modelo seller Constellation Brands lowers sales forecast as US consumers buy less beer
The company that markets and distributes Modelo and Corona beers in the U.S. has lowered its full-year sales and profit outlook, citing lower U.S. beer sales. Constellation Brands President and CEO Bill Newlands said on Tuesday that U.S. purchases of high-end beers declined over the past few months. He says consumers are making fewer trips to buy beer and are spending less per trip, a trend that is most pronounced among Hispanic customers. Constellation warned in April that Hispanic consumers were under pressure because of concerns about the economy and immigration. It also said social gatherings were declining, which led to lower beer sales.
Amazon ends a program that lets Prime members share free shipping perk with users outside household
NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon is ending a program that allows members of its Prime membership subscription program to share their free shipping benefits with people who don’t have the same primary address. The online behemoth said it will eliminate the sharing on Oct. 1 and is encouraging users outside the household of the account holder to sign up for their own Prime subscription. Amazon is replacing the so-called Prime Invitee program with Amazon Family, which lets account holders share the free two-day shipping perk as well as a broad range of other perks like exclusive deals and movies with only one other adult in their household, up to four teens (who were added before April 7) and up to four profiles for children, according to Amazon’s website.
