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More than 1 million power banks recalled after some consumers report fires

More than 1 million power banks recalled after some consumers report fires

NEW YORK (AP) — More than 1.15 million power banks are under recall across the U.S. after some fires and explosions were reported by consumers.

According to a Thursday notice from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, electronics maker Anker Innovations is recalling certain “PowerCore 10000” power banks because the lithium-ion battery inside can overheat.

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An overheating battery can lead to “melting of plastic components, smoke, and fire hazards,” Anker wrote in an accompanying announcement. The company added that it was conducting this recall “out of an abundance of caution to ensure the safety of our customers.” read more

Consumer sentiment rises for 1st time this year as inflation remains tame

Consumer sentiment rises for 1st time this year as inflation remains tame

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER, Associated Press Economics Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — Consumer sentiment increased in June for the first time in six months, the latest sign that Americans’ views of the economy have improved as inflation has stayed tame and the Trump administration has reached a truce in its trade fight with China.

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The preliminary reading of the University of Michigan’s closely watched consumer sentiment index, released Friday, jumped 16% from 52.2 to 60.5. The large increase followed steady drops that left the preliminary number last month at the second-lowest level in the nearly 75-year history of the survey. Consumer sentiment is still down 20% compared with December 2024. read more

Oil prices leap 7% and US stocks slump more than 1% on worries about the crude market

Oil prices leap 7% and US stocks slump more than 1% on worries about the crude market

By STAN CHOE, DAVID McHUGH and JIANG JUNZHE, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Oil prices leaped, and stocks slumped Friday on worries that escalating violence following Israel’s attack on Iranian nuclear and military targets could damage the flow of crude around the world, along with the global economy.

The S&P 500 sank 1.1% and wiped out what had been a modest gain for the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 769 points, or 1.8%, and the Nasdaq composite lost 1.3%.

The strongest action was in the oil market, where the price of a barrel of benchmark U.S. crude jumped 7.3% to $72.98. Brent crude, the international standard, rose 7% to $74.23 for a barrel.

Iran is one of the world’s major producers of oil, though sanctions by Western countries have limited its sales. If a wider war erupts, it could slow the flow of Iran’s oil to its customers and keep the price of crude and gasoline higher for everyone worldwide.

Beyond the oil coming from Iran, analysts also pointed to the potential for disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a relatively narrow waterway off Iran’s coast. Much of the world’s oil that’s been pulled from the ground moves through it on ships. read more

Coinbase hires top political strategist as crypto industry flexes its newfound political might

Coinbase hires top political strategist as crypto industry flexes its newfound political might

By JOEY CAPPELLETTI, KEN SWEET and JILL COLVIN

NEW YORK (AP) — A senior adviser to Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign is joining Coinbase’s global advisory council, which already includes several former U.S. senators and President Donald Trump’s ex-campaign manager, as the cryptocurrency exchange broadens its political reach.

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David Plouffe, a top Democratic strategist best known as an architect of Barack Obama’s successful 2008 presidential campaign, is the latest addition to the council, joining as the cryptocurrency industry plays an increasingly prominent role in shaping fast-moving legislation in Congress. read more

Massive Google Cloud outage disrupts popular internet services

Massive Google Cloud outage disrupts popular internet services

NEW YORK (AP) — Popular online services across the globe were disrupted Thursday due to ongoing issues at Google Cloud.

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Tens of thousands of users of Spotify, Discord and other platforms began noticing issues with their services early in the afternoon, according to Downdetector, which tracks outages.

Outage reports for music streamer Spotify in particular, peaked around 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time before dropping off, and some users began saying their access was restored.

Google’s Cloud status page said an incident with their systems affected clients in the U.S. and abroad. The company also posted that services are starting to recover after its engineers identified and began to mitigate the issue. read more