Apple is reportedly in talks with miners to get thousands of tons of cobalt, a key ingredient in iPhone batteries. The tech giant is considering buying a five-year supply of the metal to sustain production of its devices. Cobalt is also used to make electric vehicles, so Apple may be acting on fears of a shortage in the coming years.
Amazon quietly launches a line of over-the-counter health products. The e-commerce giant reportedly brought in a private label manufacturer to make drugs similar to Mucinex and Advil. Analysts say this could be good for consumers as it may encourage pharmacies to lower prices.
President Trump asks the Justice Department to make bump stocks illegal following the Parkland shooting. Newsweek's Gersh Kuntzman says bump stocks are the "lowest of the low-hanging fruit" in the push for gun reform. Kuntzman says regulating these devices doesn't even qualify as gun control since there are already laws on the books restricting machine guns. Bump stocks, which convert guns into automatic weapons, weren't used in the Parkland shooting, but they were used in the Las Vegas shooting last year.
Actress Lori Loughlin talks about playing Aunt Becky on "Full House" and "Fuller House," and her Hallmark show "When Calls the Heart." Loughlin plays Abigal Stanton in the Hallmark period drama. She says she fought to make her character the town mayor in the show to highlight strong female leads. Loughlin also discusses how pleased she's been with fan reaction to "Fuller House." Netflix recently announced the show would return for a fourth season.
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Spain's government has fined Airbnb 64 million euros or $75 million for advertising unlicensed tourist rentals. The consumer rights ministry announced the fine on Monday. The ministry stated that many listings lacked proper license numbers or included incorrect information. The move is part of Spain's ongoing efforts to regulate short-term rental companies amid a housing affordability crisis especially in popular urban areas. The ministry ordered Airbnb in May to remove around 65,000 listings for similar violations. The government's consumer rights minister emphasized the impact on families struggling with housing. Airbnb said it plans to challenge the fine in court.
Roomba maker iRobot has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, but says that it doesn’t expect any disruptions to devices as the more than 30-year-old company is taken private under a restructuring process. iRobot said that it is being acquired by Picea through a court-supervised process. Picea is the company's primary contract manufacturer. The Bedford, Massachusetts-based anticipates completing the prepackaged chapter 11 process by February.
Serbia’s prosecutor for organized crime has charged a government minister and three others with abuse of position and falsifying of documents related to a luxury real estate project linked to U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. The charges came on Monday. The investigation centers on a controversy over a a bombed-out military complex in central Belgrade that was a protected cultural heritage zone but that is facing redevelopment as a luxury compound by a company linked to Kushner. The $500 million proposal to build a high-rise hotel, offices and shops at the site has met fierce opposition from experts at home and abroad. Selakovic and others allegedly illegally lifted the protection status for the site by falsifying documentation.
