By Siddharth Cavale and Jeffrey Dastin NEW YORK (Reuters) – Walmart has plans to potentially spend $200 million on self-driving forklifts as part of broader efforts to automate more warehouse operations, according to three people familiar with the matter. The world’s largest retailer wants autonomous forklifts to move pallets of goods in its distribution centers, which replenish Walmart stores. It has intended to buy possibly hundreds from Fox Robotics and invested $25 million in the … Read more…

By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) – LinkedIn agreed to pay $6.625 million to settle a proposed class action accusing the Microsoft unit of overcharging advertisers by inflating how many people watched video ads on its platform. A preliminary settlement was filed late Thursday in San Jose, California federal court, and requires approval by U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan van Keulen in San Jose, California. LinkedIn denied wrongdoing. It also agreed to use reasonable efforts for two years … Read more…

By Jody Godoy (Reuters) – Billionaire Democratic donors Barry Diller and Reid Hoffman said in interviews this week they hope Kamala Harris will replace Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan if she becomes U.S. president, openly rejecting a pillar of President Joe Biden’s antitrust policy. Khan has been at the forefront of the Biden administration’s push to use U.S. antitrust law to boost competition and address high prices and low wages. Khan, who oversaw the … Read more…

By David Shepardson (Reuters) – U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor should reject a “sweetheart” plea deal the Justice Department struck with Boeing, relatives of 15 of the 346 people killed in two fatal 737 MAX crashes said on Thursday. Late Wednesday, the planemaker finalized an agreement to plead guilty to a criminal fraud conspiracy charge and pay at least $243.6 million after breaching a 2021 deferred prosecution agreement. Family members said in a court filing … Read more…

By Steve Holland and Jeff Mason WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden pressed for a ceasefire to the 9-month-old war in Gaza in talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, with Vice President Kamala Harris due to meet the Israeli leader later in the day. They were the first face-to-face talks for the two men since Biden traveled to Israel days after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, hugged Netanyahu and pledged American … Read more…