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Of the thousands of lawsuits Meta faces over child safety on its platforms, none may be more consequential than one going to trial this week in California.
States are seeking extensive financial damages that could, in theory, total as much as $1.4 trillion, plus changes to how the company operates Facebook and Instagram. The lawsuit accuses the social media giant of contributing to the youth mental health crisis by knowingly and deliberately designing features that are addictive. The trial set to begin Tuesday in federal court in Oakland, California, features four of the states as plaintiffs -- California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey.
Avocado pickers in Mexico welcome restart of export
Authorities have lifted a U.S. security alert that halted avocado exports from Michoacan, Mexico's main avocado-producing state.
The alert had left around 200,000 workers in limbo while the military set up increased security measures. By the weekend, orchards and packing plants were back in operation, and U.S. inspectors had returned to certify the fruit. Some workers are relieved to have their wages back, while others fear the calm won't last. The region is plagued by violence and extortion from local cartels. Increased security measures have been deployed, but growers remain cautious, hoping for lasting improvements.
Discord suspends livestreams in Brazil
Discord, the popular platform for gamers to communicate online, said it suspended its livestreams in Brazil.
The move Monday takes place in the wake of a suicide case and after a body of the country's justice ministry accused it of failing to protect for children and adolescents. Discord said in a statement that it is implementing the suspension of livestreams after a decision by Brazil's national agency of data protection last week and added it is in conversations "to seek a solution that allows us to reestablish those resources for our users in Brazil."
Berkshire Hathaway boosts stake in Alphabet
Berkshire Hathaway is increasing its stake in Google's parent company, Alphabet.
It is also boosting its holdings in homebuilders. The company also continued to pare its stake in financial companies and a number of other stocks in the April-June quarter. That's according to a regulatory filing filed late Friday. The company agreed in June to invest $10 billion in Alphabet. It expanded its stake to roughly 106 million shares worth about $37.76 billion as of June 30. Berkshire also increased its investments in builder Lennar, Delta Air Lines and Macy's, while reducing stakes in several financial companies, among others.
BBC asks a US court for help in getting testimony
The BBC has asked a U.S. court for help getting documents and testimony from U.S. President Donald Trump's family in connection to his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the broadcaster.
Trump filed the lawsuit in December, accusing the BBC of defamation and deceptive practices. The case centers on a 2024 documentary that allegedly misrepresented a speech Trump gave on Jan. 6, 2021. Lawyers for the BBC argue that Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, and Donald Trump Jr. have relevant knowledge of Trump's intentions in giving the speech. The BBC apologized for the edit but denied defamation. A trial is provisionally set for February.
Japan's economy manages 1.1% growth rate
Japan's economy grew an annualized rate of 1.1% in the April-June quarter, even as private consumption stayed flat and the growth of exports declined.
The Cabinet Office said Monday that Japan's real GDP, or gross domestic product, the sum value of nation's goods and services, grew at a seasonally adjusted 0.3% in the second quarter of this year from the first quarter.
The annual, or annualized, rate shows what that rate would have been if it had continued for a whole year. That rate in the January-March period was 2.1%. Private spending dipped 1.2% in April-June compared to January-March, while exports grew 0.5%.
Wall Street week ahead: Home Depot and Walmart report earnings, minutes of Fed meeting are released
NEW YORK (AP) -- Wall Street will get financial updates from some of the nation's biggest retailers this week, along with more details from the Federal Reserve's most recent meeting. Home Depot reports its latest results on Tuesday, followed by Target and Lowes on Wednesday, and then Walmart on Thursday. The results will help give investors a more detailed picture of how businesses and consumers are handling stubbornly high inflation. Wall Street and economists will get more details about the Federal Reserve's interest rate policy when the central bank releases minutes from the July meeting on Wednesday.