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(NEW YORK) — Boar’s Head has expanded its previous recall on several types of deli meats to include an additional 7 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products that may be contaminated with listeria.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced an update on Wednesday that Boar’s Head Provisions Co. has recalled an additional 71 products produced between May 10, 2024, and July 29, 2024, under the Boar’s Head and Old Country brand names.

This is an expansion on Friday’s recall announcement amid an ongoing investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention into an outbreak of listeria infections linked to meats sliced at delis that have sickened 34 people across 13 states. Authorities say further testing is required to determine whether any recalled products are linked to this outbreak.

Details of Boar’s Head deli meat recall

The Virginia-based meat producer recalled approximately 207,528 pounds of products that were distributed to retail deli locations nationwide, including all liverwurst products and “additional deli meat products that were produced on the same line and on the same day as the liverwurst” that could be “adulterated with L. monocytogenes.”

Boar’s Head deli meat recalled product information

The newly added items “include meat intended for slicing at retail delis as well as some packaged meat and poultry products sold at retail locations,” FSIS stated Wednesday. “These products have ‘sell by’ dates ranging from 29-JUL-2024 through 17-OCT-24.”

Click here for the full list of product details with item numbers, brand names and sell by dates.

The ready-to-eat liverwurst products were produced between June 11, 2024, and July 17, 2024, and have a 44-day shelf life.

Recalled liverwurst products include 3.5-pound loaves in plastic casing, or “various weight packages sliced in retail delis,” according to the FSIS, and are labeled “Boar’s Head Strassburger Brand Liverwurst MADE IN VIRGINIA.”

The products, which the FSIS said were shipped to retailers, bear sell by dates ranging from July 25 to Aug. 30, 2024. Sell by dates are printed on the side of the packaging.

Click here for images with full label details.

Additional ready-to-eat deli meats subject to recall

• 9.5-pound and 4.5-pound full product, or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing “Boar’s Head VIRGINIA HAM OLD FASHIONED HAM” with sell by date “AUG 10” on the product packaging.
• 4-pound, or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing “Boar’s Head ITALIAN CAPPY STYLE HAM” with sell by date “AUG 10” on the product packaging.
• 6-pound, or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing “Boar’s Head EXTRA HOT ITALIAN CAPPY STYLE HAM” with sell by date “AUG 10” on the product packaging.
• 4-pound, or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing “Boar’s Head BOLOGNA” with sell by date “AUG 10” on the product packaging.
• 2.5-pound, or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing “Boar’s Head BEEF SALAMI” with sell by date “AUG 10” on the product packaging.
• 5.5-pound, or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing “Boar’s Head STEAKHOUSE ROASTED BACON HEAT & EAT” with sell by date “AUG 15” on the product packaging.
• 3-pound, or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing “Boar’s Head GARLIC BOLOGNA” with sell by date “AUG 10” on the product packaging.
• 3-pound, or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing “Boar’s Head BEEF BOLOGNA” with sell by date “AUG 10” on the product packaging.

The recalled products bear establishment number “EST. 12612” inside the USDA mark of inspection on the product labels.

The above products were produced on June 27, 2024, according to Boar’s Head.

What prompted the Boar’s Head recall

According to the USDA, the problem was discovered when the FSIS “was notified that a sample collected by the Maryland Department of Health tested positive for L. monocytogenes.”

“The Maryland Department of Health, in collaboration with the Baltimore City Health Department, collected an unopened liverwurst product from a retail store for testing as part of an outbreak investigation of L. monocytogenes infections,” the agency stated. “Further testing is ongoing to determine if the product sample is related to the outbreak. Anyone concerned about illness should contact a healthcare provider.”

Details of listeria outbreak linked to deli meats

The FSIS is currently working with the CDC as well as state public health partners to investigate a multi-state outbreak of listeria infections linked to meats sliced at delis, USDA officials said this week.

According to the agency, as of July 25, “34 sick people have been identified in 13 states, including 33 hospitalizations and two deaths.”

As of July 19, states involved in the outbreak included Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts.

“Samples were collected from sick people from May 29, 2024, to July 12, 2024,” the USDA stated this week, adding that “the investigation is ongoing.”

In a notice published July 19, the CDC stated that many of those sickened in the outbreak had reported eating meat that they had sliced at deli counters.

“Investigators are collecting information to determine the specific products that may be contaminated,” the CDC stated.

“Listeria spreads easily among deli equipment, surfaces, hands and food,” the agency added. “Refrigeration does not kill Listeria, but reheating to a high enough temperature before eating will kill any germs that may be on these meats.”

Symptoms, side effects of listeria

According to the CDC, listeria can cause severe illness “when the bacteria spread beyond the gut to other parts of the body” after a person consumes contaminated food. Those at higher risk include pregnant people, those aged 65 or older, or anyone who has a weakened immune system, the CDC says.

“If you are pregnant, it can cause pregnancy loss, premature birth, or a life-threatening infection in your newborn,” the CDC states on its website. “Other people can be infected with Listeria, but they rarely become seriously ill.”

According to the CDC, anyone infected with listeria may experience “mild food poisoning symptoms” such as diarrhea or fever, and many recover without antibiotic treatment.

An estimated 1,600 people get listeria food poisoning each year and about 260 die, according to the CDC.

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(WASHINGTON) — The Federal Reserve has held interest rates steady at a 23-year high since last July — but a rate cut is widely expected in the coming months. On Wall Street, the outlook for an interest rate cut has shifted from if to when.

The central bank will issue its latest interest rate decision on Wednesday after a months-long stretch of data has established the key conditions for a rate cut: cooling inflation and slowing job gains.

Still, economists expect the Fed to leave interest rates unchanged on Wednesday, offering the central bank time to ensure current trends hold ahead of its next meeting in September.

The chances of an interest rate cut at the Fed’s meeting in September stand at more than 85%, according to the CME FedWatch Tool, a measure of market sentiment. The same tool shows the odds of a rate cut on Wednesday at a meager 5%.

The economy appears to be hurtling toward interest rate cuts later this year, nevertheless. Such an outcome would deliver long-sought loan relief for households and businesses saddled with expensive debt.

Price increases have slowed significantly from a peak of more than 9%, though inflation remains a percentage point higher than the Fed’s target rate of 2%. An outright drop in prices in June compared to the month prior marked a major sign of progress in slowing inflation.

The labor market has continued to grow but its breakneck pace has cooled. The unemployment rate has ticked up this year from 3.7% to 4.1%.

The Fed is guided by a dual mandate to keep inflation under control and the labor market strong. The monthslong stretch of good news for inflation alongside bad news for unemployment has prompted the Fed to give additional consideration to its goal of keeping Americans on the job, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said last month.

“For a long time, since inflation arrived, it’s been right to mainly focus on inflation. But now that inflation has come down and the labor market has indeed cooled off, we’re going to be looking at both mandates. They’re in much better balance,” Powell said at a meeting of The Economic Club of Washington, D.C.

“That means that if we were to see an unexpected weakening in the labor market, then that might also be a reason for reaction by us,” Powell added.

However, robust economic data released last week may complicate the path toward a rate cut.

The U.S. economy grew much faster than expected over three months ending in June, accelerating from the previous quarter and defying concerns about a possible slowdown, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

If the Fed cuts interest rates as the economy is heating up, the central bank risks rekindling rapid price increases.

After the economic data came out last Thursday, the odds of a September interest rate cut fell to about 80%. The dip in sentiment proved temporary, however. The odds have risen seven percentage points since then.

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(NEW YORK) — Delta Air Lines has reportedly hired a prominent law firm to help the Atlanta-based carrier pursue potential damages from CrowdStrike and Microsoft following the global tech outages that caused a slew of internal computer issues and prompted thousands of canceled flights earlier this month.

CNBC first reported that Delta had hired Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, the law firm whose chairman David Boies previously represented the U.S. government in the landmark antitrust case against Microsoft.

Although a lawsuit has not yet been filed, CNBC reported that Delta plans to seek potential compensation from both companies.

When asked for further comment on the matter and the report that Delta had hired Boies, a spokesperson for the airline told ABC News that the company had “no information to add.”

Following the tech chaos on July 19, which affected CrowdStrike customers who use Microsoft Windows products, Delta’s systems were disrupted for more than six days, causing widespread flight delays and cancellations, service failures and an influx of frustrated, stranded passengers, which prompted an investigation by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Crowdstrike said it deployed a fix for the faulty update on July 19, hours after the initial outage.

The IT outage resulted from a faulty software update initiated by CrowdStrike on July 19. Mark Lanterman, chief technology officer at the cybersecurity firm Computer Forensic Services, told ABC News previously that the faulty update subsequently caused a meltdown within Windows operating systems.

“The CrowdStrike update is deep inside the operating system,” Lanterman said. “When that was installed, there was bad code inside of this update. And when Windows came across the bad code, it panicked and it crashed.”

According to a statement from Delta earlier this week, “Upward of half of Delta’s IT systems worldwide are Windows-based.”

On Thursday, Delta announced that “operational reliability [had] returned to normal” across mainline and Delta Connection flights.

“Delta is committed to caring for our customers during this time and has taken a number of other steps to make things right for customers affected by delays and cancellations,” the company said in an announcement.

Those steps included reimbursing out-of-pocket expenses, extended delay refunds, issuing SkyMiles Program miles and travel vouchers, notifying customers of rebooking options, and extending a travel waiver for all customers with travel booked from July 19-28.

According to CNBC, the outages reportedly cost Delta between an estimated $350 million and $500 million.

CrowdStrike and Microsoft did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.

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(NEW YORK) — Holland America has created some picture perfect cruise itineraries for travelers with celestial events on their adventure bucket list such as seeing the northern lights or a total solar eclipse from the high seas.

The Seattle-based cruise line announced a new slate of celestial cruises on Monday that will take guests to prime locations throughout Europe to experience three different natural phenomena firsthand.

Three new Holland America solar eclipse cruises

Following the success of Holland America’s 2024 eclipse cruises, the company’s chief commercial officer, Beth Bodensteiner, said the team put together the 2026 lineup for more guests “to get a front-row seat for some of the world’s most special natural spectacles” with “in-depth exploration of exciting destinations.”

Three ships from the fleet will be positioned under the path of totality for the Aug. 12, 2026, total solar eclipse.

They include the Oosterdam, which will take guests for a 13-day Mediterranean cruise departing off the eastern coast of Spain, at sea in the path of totality between Alicante and Barcelona; the Nieuw Statendam, which is set to explore Northern Europe for a 28-day cruise, sailing off the northwest coast of Iceland at sea in the path of totality; and the 35-day Voyage of the Vikings, a roundtrip cruise from Boston aboard the Zuiderdam, will sail under the path of totality off the west coast of Iceland, just before arriving at Grundarfjörður.

Guests aboard each excursion can expect lectures from scientific experts, themed activities and proper safety equipment for viewing the total eclipse.

The Voyage of the Vikings sets sail July 18, 2026, and has calls at Portland, Maine; Sydney, Corner Brook, Red Bay, St. Anthony, St John’s and Halifax in Canada; Paamiut (Frederikshåb), Nanortalik and Qaqortoq (Julianehåb) in Greenland; Reykjavik, Seydisfjördur, Húsavík and Grundarfjørdur in Iceland; Eidfjord, Norway; Rotterdam, Netherlands; Dublin, Ireland; and Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The Scandinavian Solar Eclipse departs July 25, 2026, from Dover, England, or Rotterdam aboard the Niew Statendam, with multiple calls in Norway, Iceland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Scotland.

The shortest of the three voyages through the Mediterranean will have calls at Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, Greece and Montenegro.

Holland America debuts Northern Lights cruises

“As 2026 is predicted to be a highly active period for auroras, a growing number of travelers plan to prioritize seeing them on vacation. Guests seeking to pair that adventure with an in-depth exploration of Norway can do so on one of two Northern Lights cruises aboard Rotterdam and Nieuw Statendam,” Holland America announced. “The cruises feature an overnight in Alta, also known as The City of the Northern Lights, and spend five days above the Arctic Circle.”

The first of the two cruises, a 14-day journey departing Oct. 4, 2026, will sail from Rotterdam to Amsterdam. The 15-day option departs Oct. 16, 2026, from Dover to Rotterdam.

Summer Solstice Holland America cruise above the Arctic Circle

The Nieuw Statendam will take passengers on a 14-day cruise crossing the Arctic Circle to celebrate the summer solstice in Honningsvåg, Norway, one of the northernmost cities on the planet, to experience the maximum amount of daylight on the longest day of the year.

The cruise line is offering some early booking discounts for a limited time on premium packages for its Mariner Society loyalty members, which includes an up to $400 onboard credit for bookings made by Oct. 29, 2024.

Bookings for the Celestial Cruises open July 31.

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(WASHINGTON) — Former President Donald Trump told the audience at a cryptocurrency conference in Nashville, Tennessee, over the weekend that he wants to turn the U.S. into the “crypto capital of the planet.”

The remarks thrust digital currency into the forefront of a presidential campaign in which both major candidates are seeking to draw contrasts on hot-button issues. The political attention comes during an upswing for bitcoin, the most popular cryptocurrency, which has surged 60% in value this year.

Trump, who opposed crypto as president, has recently undertaken a campaign blitz in support of digital assets. By contrast, likely Democratic nominee Kamala Harris has remained quiet on the issue since President Biden ended his reelection bid more than a week ago and endorsed the vice president in his place.

“This is a really live issue,” Aaron Klein, a senior fellow in economic studies at the Brookings Institute, told ABC News, pointing to key constituencies that disproportionately trade cryptocurrency, such as young voters.

In response to ABC News’ request for comment, the Trump campaign touted the candidate’s support for crypto and the wider tech industry.

“As the Bitcoin conference demonstrated, President Trump wants our nation to regain the global lead for technology, innovation, and manufacturing. That includes crypto and other sectors,” senior adviser Brian Hughes told ABC News in a statement. “Crypto innovators and others in the technology sector are under attack from Kamala Harris and the Democrats who’ve placed obstacles and unnecessary burdens in the way of our nation’s next generation of industry leaders.”

The Biden campaign did not immediately respond to an ABC News request for comment on the issue.

Here’s what to know about where Trump and Harris stand on cryptocurrency:

Where does former President Donald Trump stand on cryptocurrency?

While in office, Trump sharply criticized crypto. In 2019, he derided digital assets in a post on X as “highly volatile and based on thin air.”

“Unregulated Crypto Assets can facilitate unlawful behavior, including drug trade,” Trump added.

Lately, however, Trump has voiced full-throated support for crypto. Speaking at the annual Bitcoin Conference on Saturday, Trump vowed to ease regulation of cryptocurrency and establish the federal government’s first National Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.

Trump also said he would replace Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler, who many crypto proponents dislike for his robust approach to crypto regulation.

“Trump seems to have had a change of heart and is going all-in on crypto,” Eswar Prasad, a professor at Cornell University who studies digital assets, told ABC News.

In recent weeks, Trump has received endorsements from some major figures in Silicon Valley who back crypto, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, a prominent crypto supporter. Other Trump supporters include Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, billionaire crypto entrepreneurs who gained prominence in the early 2000s after suing Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

In a post on X on Monday, Cameron Winklevoss said, “We’re going to make America and Bitcoin greater than ever before.”

Prasad said Trump’s about-face on crypto aligns with his effort to appeal to Silicon Valley donors and signal a deregulatory approach toward business.

“He seems to view the crypto industry as a source of financing for this campaign and also as lining up with his anti-big government message,” Prasad said.

It remains difficult to discern exactly where Harris stands on crypto, experts told ABC News.

Where does Vice President Kamala Harris stand on cryptocurrency?

The Biden administration has been widely perceived as tough on crypto, they noted, citing the federal prosecution of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried and cryptocurrency regulations enforced by Gensler. However, experts told ABC News, it isn’t clear how closely Harris intends to align herself with Biden on the issue.

Democrats are divided over crypto policy, said Klein, of the Brookings Institute. Progressive Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., has been a forceful critic of crypto, for instance, while tech entrepreneur and Harris supporter Mark Cuban has sought a friendlier stance on digital assets, Klein noted.

“The Democratic party has a split,” Klein said.

Harris ultimately may seek to soften the Biden administration’s position on cryptocurrency, experts said. The Harris campaign has contacted top crypto firms in an effort to “reset” relations between the industry and the Democratic Party, the Financial Times reported on Saturday.

“I suspect Harris’s campaign will have some level of strategic ambiguity between the Biden administration’s line and what the cryptocurrency industry wants,” Klein told ABC News.

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(NEW YORK) — They’ve got sleek styling, impressive fuel economy and added power. Hybrids are the hottest vehicles right now and some Americans are struggling to find one.

Jeff Buchanan, vice president of vehicle marketing and communications at Toyota, said there’s still a wait list for the newest Prius model, which launched in November of 2022. He expects a similar situation with the upcoming Camry, which will be sold exclusively as a hybrid powertrain for model year 2025.

“Some people are not ready to switch to electric vehicles,” Buchanan told ABC News. “Hybrids offer flexibility — you don’t have to depend on charging infrastructure but you can still reduce emissions.”

The hybrids on sale today — from sport utility vehicles to six-figure sports cars — are faster, sexier and more efficient. They’ve also lost that nerdy, uncool image from the early 2000s.

“The Prius was always known for great fuel mileage. But the new one has changed everyone’s opinion,” Buchanan said. “The styling is unbelievable, the performance is unbelievable. People say to me, ‘Wow, that’s a really good looking car.'”

If styling won’t convince consumers to buy a hybrid, fuel economy will, he said. Toyota’s popular hybrids — the Prius, Corolla, Highlander, RAV4 and Camry — get anywhere from 40 to 57 combined mpg, according to EPA estimates.

Nearly 1.2 million Americans bought hybrids last year versus 763,000 in 2022, according to Robby Degraff, an analyst at AutoPacific. He said hybrid sales will continue to grow year-over-year as more automakers pull back on their electric vehicle rollouts and add hybrids to their lineups.

“Hybrids are offered in such a greater mix of body styles and segments,” he told ABC News. “Electric vehicles don’t work for a lot of people. Plus, EVs are more expensive than hybrids and gas-powered cars and trucks. Hybrids are the most equitable way to lower your carbon footprint.”

Sports car makers are also turning to hybrid technology to boost performance and acceleration. British marque McLaren currently offers two hybrids for enthusiasts: the Artura coupe and Artura Spider, a convertible that went on sale earlier this year. The Spider, which company execs call the “most fuel-efficient McLaren convertible ever,” produces a combined 691 horsepower from a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 and E-motor powertrain. The E-motor is powered by a battery pack made up of five lithium-ion modules, allowing drivers to get up to 21 miles of EV range.

The E-motor and twin-turbo V6 give the Artura Spider “razor-sharp throttle response,” according to the company, and ridiculously fast acceleration (0-60 mph in 3 seconds). Dani Marcos, a longtime test driver for McLaren, said owners still get that exhilarating rush from the hybrid powertrain.

“The goal was to make the Artura Spider more engaging and enjoyable for customers,” Marcos told ABC News. “It’s comfortable for every day driving but we also preserved McLaren’s [racing] DNA.”

McLaren is not the only automaker to make a hybrid convertible sports car. The Corvette E-Ray’s electric motor adds 60 hp and 125 lb-ft of torque through the front wheels via a 1.9 kWh battery pack, giving the car a combined 655 hp from the motor and naturally aspirated Small Block V8 engine. Moreover, E-Ray owners can start their drives in “Stealth Mode,” an electric drive mode that operates at speeds under 45 mph.

“The first time I floored the E-Ray, it was just so quick,” said Tony Quiroga, editor-in-chief of Car and Driver. “People want sports cars as light as possible and the E-Ray is heavy. But you can’t really notice the weight compared to the regular [Corvette] Stingray.”

He added, “It’s a performance hybrid and not tuned for efficiency. But it’s spectacular and the electric motor fills in the power before the gas engine does.”

Stephanie Valdez Streaty, industry insights director at Cox Automotive, said ongoing education about hybrids, plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and pure battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) will ease Americans’ “journey toward electrification.”

“What’s a mild hybrid? Gas hybrid? PHEV? Consumers still ask that,” she told ABC News. “Some people think you have to charge a gas hybrid.”

According to Cox Automotive data, the U.S. auto market will soon “pass the milestone of 1-in-5 new vehicles sold including a sizable battery pack – adding millions of batteries to our roads each year.”

“I am not surprised at this trend,” Streaty said. “There really are no barriers to hybrids. They’re easier to sell to consumers: ‘This is how you save money on gas.’ And a lot of popular models are under $35,000.”

Honda Motor executive Jessika Laudermilk said the introduction of the 2025 Civic hybrid would likely appeal to a broad range of motorists and could even account for 40% of overall Civic sales.

The Japanese automaker’s hybrid sales have been growing since the second half of 2022, she said, and set an all-time sales record in 2023. The CR-V and Accord hybrids represented over one-quarter of total Honda brand sales last year.

“The CR-V hybrid and Accord hybrid have carried this strong momentum into the first six months of 2024,” Laudermilk told ABC News. “The market for EVs is going to fluctuate in the early stages of this transition and hybrid vehicles play an important role during this period.”

Randy Parker, CEO of Hyundai Motor America, said the company’s sales of hybrid rose 42% between April and June versus 15% for fully electric models.

The appeal of hybrids can help reassure “EV-curious and cautious customers” that electrification is the way to go, he noted.

“We have always understood the EV transformation to have near-term and long-term requirements,” he told ABC News. “That is why we developed a lineup with this diverse choice of drivetrains. We want to meet the customer where they are on their EV transformation journey, including the readiness of their local and regional charging infrastructure.”

He added, “More models are coming, and more buyers will continue to trade in their ICE [internal combustion engine] models for vehicles with appealing, efficient designs and advanced technology.”

For consumers still clinging to their big engines, Degraff said it’s time to give hybrids a serious look.

“Today’s hybrids are not the same hybrids from the early- to mid-2000s,” he said. “You can buy a Hyundai Elantra, for example, that gets almost 60 miles per gallon — that’s how far hybrid technology has come. Hybrids are pretty fantastic vehicles and are only going to get better.”

Buchanan of Toyota said the company “will build cars our customers want.” Right now, that’s gas hybrids.

“Demand used to be more specific to the East and West Coasts, but every dealer would take more hybrids right now,” he said. “It just underscores the overall acceptance of this technology.”

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(NEW YORK) — An outage caused by a software update distributed by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike triggered a wave of flight cancellations at several major U.S. airlines – but the disruption was most severe and prolonged at Delta Airlines.

In all, the carrier canceled more than 2,500 flights over a period that stretched from last Friday, when the outage began, into the middle of this week.

The U.S. Department of Transportation opened an investigation into Delta this week over its uniquely severe flight disruptions.

“All airline passengers have the right to be treated fairly,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said on Tuesday in a post on X.

In a statement on Tuesday, Delta said it is fully cooperating with the investigation. “Across our operation, Delta teams are working tirelessly to care for and make it right for customers impacted by delays and cancellations as we work to restore the reliable, on-time service they have come to expect from Delta,” the company said.

The company also issued an apology on Wednesday for the outage-related problems.

“Please accept our sincere apologies for the disruption to your recent travel plans caused by a vendor technology outage affecting airlines and companies worldwide,” the airline said in a statement.

“It’s a surprise that a multi-billion-dollar corporation like Delta would allow this to happen,” Henry Harteveldt, a travel industry analyst at Atmosphere Research Group, told ABC News.

“I’m hopeful that the worst is behind us now. While we can breathe a sigh of relief, I think a lot of people are understandably nervous about flying Delta,” Harteveldt added.

Delta did not immediately respond to an ABC News request for comment.

Airline and cybersecurity experts spoke to ABC News about what made the CrowdStrike outage so disruptive, and why it took days for Delta to resume normal service.

What made the CrowdStrike outage so disruptive for Delta?

The CrowdStrike outage was so impactful because of the severity of the IT failure and the scale of its reach within the internal operating systems at Delta, experts told ABC News.

“For a company such as Delta, they rely on countless partner services for everything from scheduling pilots and planes to providing meal service and snacks to allowing customers to select their seats,” David Bader, a professor of cybersecurity and the director of the Institute of Data Science at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, told ABC News.

“The CrowdStrike bug disrupted many of those critical services that keep the airline running at full capacity,” Bader added.

Mark Lanterman, the chief technology officer at the cybersecurity firm Computer Forensic Services, said the outage resulted from a faulty software update initiated by CrowdStrike. The resulting computer bug interrupted core services because of the degree to which CrowdStrike pervades the Delta operating systems, he added.

“The CrowdStrike update is deep inside the operating system. When that was installed, there was bad code inside of this update. And when Windows came across the bad code, it panicked and it crashed,” Lanterman said.

The outage, which affected CrowdStrike clients that use Windows operating systems, disrupted a critical system that ensures each flight has a full crew, Delta said in a statement on Monday.

“Upward of half of Delta’s IT systems worldwide are Windows based,” Delta said.

Why did it take days for Delta to resume normal service?

The reason for the prolonged recovery from the outage was because the CrowdStrike update disruption required a manual fix at each individual computer system, experts told ABC News. While each fix can be completed in no more than 10 minutes, the vast number of Delta’s digital terminals required significant manpower to address, expert said.

“This isn’t a fix that could be done automatically; IT resources can’t just sit at a computer and push out an update and everything is fixed,” Lanterman said. “It took so long because Delta has a lot of computers and likely they have limited IT resources to go from computer to computer.”

In a statement on Tuesday, the airline acknowledged the challenge posed by the manual fix requirement.

“The CrowdStrike error required Delta’s IT teams to manually repair and reboot each of the affected systems, with additional time then needed for applications to synchronize and start communicating with each other,” Delta said.

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(NEW YORK) — The U.S. economy grew much faster than expected over three months ending in June, accelerating from the previous quarter and defying concerns about a possible slowdown.

U.S. GDP grew at a 2.8% annualized rate over three months ending in September. That figure doubled the annualized rate of growth undertaken over the previous quarter.

The fresh data could complicate the path toward a widely expect interest rate cut from the Federal Reserve in September. Until the most recent quarter, the economy had been cooling.

Price increases have slowed significantly from a peak of more than 9%, though inflation remains more than a percentage point higher than the Fed’s target rate of 2%. An outright drop in prices in June compared to the month prior marked a major sign of progress in slowing inflation.

If the Fed cuts interest rates as the economy is heating up, however, the central bank risks rekindling rapid price increases.

The chances of an interest rate cut at the Fed’s meeting in September stand at more than 80%, according to the CME FedWatch Tool, a measure of market sentiment.

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(NEW YORK) — The Department of Justice and Boeing have finalized their plea agreement — the manufacturer will plead guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and pay a fine of $243.6 million, according to a court filing.

Boeing will also serve a three-year term of organizational probation; invest $455 million in compliance, quality and safety programs; and the board of directors will meet with the families of victims of the two MAX crashes. An independent compliance monitor will also be appointed.

This is not a done deal until it is approved by U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor in the Northern District of Texas, who can either approve the deal or reject it.

According to court documents, “the plea agreement will not provide Boeing with immunity for any other conduct, including any conduct that may be the subject of any ongoing or future Government investigation of the Company.”

In a statement, Boeing said, “Boeing and the Justice Department have filed a detailed plea agreement in federal court, which is subject to court approval. We will continue to work transparently with our regulators as we take significant actions across Boeing to further strengthen our safety, quality and compliance programs.”

Lawyers representing the families of MAX crash victims have voiced their displeasure to ABC News.

Paul Cassell, who represents 15 MAX crash victim families, said: “The proposed plea has all the problems in it that the families feared it would have. We will file a strong objection to the preferential and “sweetheart” treatment Boeing is receiving within seven days with Judge O’Connor. We will strongly urge him to reject this proposed plea.”

Mark Lindquist, who also represents victim families, said: “Most importantly this plea agreement fails to acknowledge that the charged crime of Conspiracy to Defraud caused the death of 346 people. This is a sore spot for victim families who want accountability and acknowledgment.”

Boeing was accused of misleading the Federal Aviation Administration about aspects of the Max before the agency certified the plane for flight. Boeing did not tell airlines and pilots about the new software system, called MCAS, that could turn the plane’s nose down without input from pilots if a sensor detected that the plane might go into an aerodynamic stall.

Max planes crashed in 2018 in Indonesia and 2019 in Ethiopia after a faulty reading from the sensor pushed the nose down and pilots were unable to regain control. After the second crash, Max jets were grounded worldwide until the company redesigned MCAS to make it less powerful and to use signals from two sensors, not just one.

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(NEW YORK) — Shares of Tesla fell 12% in early trading on Wednesday after an earnings release showed slumping profits in the face of strengthened competition and sluggish sales.

The earnings report fell short of Wall Street expectations for profit.

“There have been quite a few competing electric vehicles that have entered the market and mostly, they have not done well, but they have discounted their EVs quite substantially, which has made it more a bit difficult for Tesla,” Tesla CEO Elon Musk told analysts on Wednesday.

Tesla shares plummeted more than 25% at the outset of 2024 but the company had recovered all of those losses this month after it released a better-than-expected report on vehicle deliveries. The stock price decline on Wednesday puts shares at their lowest level in more than three weeks.

The earnings results released on Tuesday mark two consecutive quarters of declining profits. Revenue from government credits increased to $890 million in the most recent quarter, accounting for more than half of the company’s profits.

Gordon Johnson, CEO and founder of data firm GLJ Research, who is bearish on Tesla, said the boost in revenue from government credits afforded the company a financial lifeline even as it struggled in its main line of business: selling vehicles.

“What is the core business doing?” Johnson told ABC News, suggesting the decline in performance was even worse than the earnings indicate.

Critics say demand for the company’s vehicles has slowed as a result of its failure to release a new, affordable model, as well as a softening in the overall EV market. As competitors roll out alternatives, Tesla faces a difficult path to regain its previous breakneck growth, analysts previously told ABC News.

Proponents, however, point to the company’s record of industry-leading innovation, suggesting the breakthroughs that fueled its sprint ahead of the competition could reemerge as it readies for new EV models and perfects its autonomous driving software.

Dan Ives, a managing director of equity research at the investment firm Wedbush, who is bullish on Tesla, downplayed the weaker-than-expected earnings report and highlighted potential gains from the company’s development of autonomous vehicles.

“We were not looking for major fireworks this quarter from Tesla,” Ives said on Wednesday in a note to investors. “The next phase of the Tesla growth story is around autonomous, Robotaxis, and AI playing out for Musk & Co. in our view and that vision is on the doorstep.”

Speaking to analysts on Tuesday, Musk said the company had made “a lot of progress” on its full self-driving software over the most recent quarter.

“We think customers will experience a step-change improvement in how well supervised full self-driving works,” Musk added.

That product has faced challenges, however. In December, Tesla recalled about 2 million cars over a safety issue tied to its autopilot system. Two months later, the company recalled about 360,000 more cars over crash risks tied to its self-driving system. Musk said on Tuesday that the company is delaying the launch of its Robotaxi service until October.

Johnson, of GLJ Research, voiced skepticism about the Robotaxi initiative.

“Tesla doesn’t have one Robotaxi on the road,” Johnson said.

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