Two new deaths and more illnesses have been reported in an outbreak of listeria food poisoning tied to precooked pasta meals sold in grocery stores in many states. The latest illnesses occurred in September and October, with the most recent on Oct. 16.

At least six people have died and 27 have been sickened in 18 states. Grocery stores including Walmart, Safeway and Trader Joe’s have recalled heat-and-eat pasta meals and deli pasta salads. The outbreak has been traced to precooked pasta made by Nate’s Fine Foods of Roseville, California.

Trump a no-show at big Asian economic forum

U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to skip a big Asian economic meeting this weekend risks worsening America’s reputation at a forum that represents nearly 40% of the world’s population and more than half of global goods trade. It also stands in contrast to China’s approach. Showing up matters in Asian diplomacy, and the Chinese leader is scheduled to be in South Korea until the forum ends this weekend, hoping to gain wins in Trump’s absence.

Trump’s decision to skip APEC fits with his well-known disdain for the big, multi-nation forums that have been traditionally used to address huge global problems. He typically relishes the kind of one-on-one diplomacy that can result in big deals, or at least interesting headlines.

Radio Free Asia halting its news operations

Radio Free Asia says it is shutting down its news operations starting on Friday. The outlet says the action is due to the government shutdown and the Trump administration’s efforts to cut off government-funded news sources, which it characterizes as a waste of money.

Radio Free Asia provides news online and through broadcast in countries like China, Myanmar and North Korea that are not used to the free flow of information. Radio Free Asia had already been operating with a skeleton staff. Its CEO says it will now begin shutting down bureaus and paying severance to journalists, many of whom have been furloughed since March.

Senators back resolution to undo Trump’s tariffs

The Senate has passed a resolution that would undo many of President Donald Trump’s tariffs around the globe. It’s the latest note of displeasure at Trump’s trade tactics in Washington. The resolution passed on a 51-47 vote, with four

Republicans joining all

Democrats in support.

The vote came just as President Donald Trump was celebrating his latest round of trade negotiations with China as a success. But back in Washington, many are skeptical. While the resolution reversing Trump’s tariffs is unlikely to become law, the vote exposed dissent on the issue in Trump’s Republican Party.

Apple delivers strong summer quarter

Apple’s iPhone sales growth decelerated during its summertime quarter, but the trendsetting company still delivered financial results that exceeded analyst projections while continuing its efforts to catch up to its Big Tech peers in the artificial intelligence race. The performance announced Thursday was driven by strong demand for the premium models of the iPhone 17 lineup that went on sale last month.

Although iPhone sales rose by 6% from the same July-September period last year, the growth was slightly below analyst estimates and less than the pace from the prior quarter. But Apple’s profit and revenue still topped analyst forecasts and its stock surged by more than 3% in extended trading.