By Joseph Pisani
Getting an Amazon package delivered from the sky is closer to becoming a reality.
The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it had granted Amazon approval to deliver packages by drones.
Amazon said that the approval is an "important step," but added that it is still testing and flying the drones. It did not say when it expected drones to make deliveries to shoppers.
The online shopping giant has been working on drone delivery for years, but it has been slowed by regulatory hurdles. Back in December 2013, Amazon CEO and founder Jeff Bezos said in a TV interview that drones would be flying to customer's homes within five years.
Last year, Amazon unveiled self-piloting drones that are fully electric, can carry 5 pounds of goods, and are designed to deliver items in 30 minutes by dropping them in a backyard. At the time, an Amazon executive said deliveries to shoppers would be happening "within months," but more than 14 months have passed since then.
Seattle-based Amazon is the third drone delivery service to win flight approval, the FAA said. Delivery company UPS and a company owned by search giant Google won approval last year.
Tesla drivers in the U.S. were in more accidents than drivers of any other car brand this year, according to a study.
The promise of self-checkout was alluring: Customers could avoid long lines by scanning and bagging their own items, workers could be freed of doing those monotonous tasks themselves and retailers could save on labor costs.
Monsanto was ordered to pay $857 million to students and parent volunteers at a Washington school.
A federal judge has struck down hundreds of lawsuits filed against the makers of Tylenol and generic acetaminophen.
California regulators are preparing to vote on new rules for turning recycled wastewater into drinking water.
Hackers accessed Xfinity customers’ personal information by exploiting a vulnerability in software used by the company, the Comcast-owned telecommunications business announced this week.
Some folks want to leave the cold for a quick getaway. Bobby Laurie, travel expert, joined Cheddar News to provide tips on how and when to look for a winter escape.
Julia Pollak, chief economist with ZipRecruiter, joined Cheddar News to provide tips on navigating a job loss and explain the benefits of working with a recruiter to find new employment.
A pair of sneakers that were made for director Spike Lee sold for more than $50,000 at auction.
Union members for Anheuser-Busch are looking for a better deal and they are willing to go on strike.
