*By Conor White*
Shares of Twitter plunged on Monday over concerns a crackdown on fake accounts could hamper user growth.
The company [reportedly](https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2018/07/06/twitter-is-sweeping-out-fake-accounts-like-never-before-putting-user-growth-risk/) banned over 70 million accounts in the last two months and is suspending more than a million handles a day.
But Mashable tech reporter Matt Binder said it was an action Twitter had to take.
"I think they should keep doing this until they actually have the accounts that are causing this sort of problem," he said in an interview with Cheddar Monday. "They'll never really completely wipe it out, but they should continue dealing with it for as long as it takes to keep this to a minimum."
Binder said the purpose of these accounts can vary between anything from users creating fake accounts to boost their own following to bots actually trying to spread disinformation.
He pointed out that the company has faced a series of damaging crises.
"One was, for example, the Russia-linked internet research agency ," Binder said. "They were proven to be - both on Facebook and Twitter accounts - paying for ads to promote these accounts or these posts to try and sway the election."
"Again, whether that was something that worked or not, or how influential it was, that's besides the point."
Twitter shares were down as much as 9.8 percent in early trade Monday, but pared those losses after CFO Ned Segal [tweeted](https://twitter.com/nedsegal/status/1016371745933033472) that most of the accounts removed are not counted in the company's metrics.
For the full segment, [click here.]( https://cheddar.com/videos/twitter-cracks-down-on-fake-accounts)
The Federal Aviation Administration says flights departing for Los Angeles International Airport were halted briefly due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility. The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at one of the world’s busiest airports on Sunday morning soon after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that travelers would see more flights delayed as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the federal government shutdown. The hold on planes taking off for LAX lasted an hour and 45 minutes and didn't appear to cause continued problems. The FAA said staffing shortages also delayed planes headed to Washington, Chicago and Newark, New Jersey on Sunday.
Boeing workers at three Midwest plants where military aircraft and weapons are developed have voted to reject the company’s latest contract offer and to continue a strike that started almost three months ago. The strike by about 3,200 machinists at the plants in the Missouri cities of St. Louis and St. Charles, and in Mascoutah, Illinois, is smaller in scale than a walkout last year by 33,000 Boeing workers who assemble commercial jetliners. The president of the International Association of Machinists says Sunday's outcome shows Boeing hasn't adequately addressed wages and retirement benefits. Boeing says Sunday's vote was close with 51% of union members opposing the revised offer.
The stunning indictment that led to the arrest of more than 30 people — including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and other NBA figures — has drawn new scrutiny of the booming business of sports betting in the U.S. The multibillion-dollar industry has made it easy for sports fans — and even some players — to wager on everything from the outcome of games to that of a single play with just a few taps of a cellphone. But regulating the rapidly-growing industry has proven to be a challenge. Professional sports leagues’ own role in promoting gambling has also raised eyebrows.
Tesla, the car company run by Elon Musk, reported Wednesday that it sold more vehicles in the past three months after boycotts hit hard earlier this year, but profits still fell sharply. Third-quarter earnings fell to $1.4 billion, from $2.2 billion a year earlier. Excluding charges, per share profit of 50 cents came in below analysts' estimate. Tesla shares fell 3.5% in after-hours trading. Musk said the company's robotaxi service, which is available in Austin, Texas, and San Francisco, will roll out to as many as 10 other metro areas by the end of the year.
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