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^FINANCIAL MARKETS
Asian shares mixed amid uncertainties on Brexit, China trade
TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares are mixed today amid uncertainties about Britain's exit from the European Union and the ongoing trade conflict between the U.S. and China.
Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 gained nearly 0.3% in afternoon trading. South Korea's Kospi picked up 0.2%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 0.2%. The S&P/ASX 200 in Australia inched up less than 0.1%, while the Shanghai Composite slipped 0.2%.
Shares fell in Taiwan and were mixed in Southeast Asia.
The mixed performance to start the week is a continuation of the wobbles that ended last week, when the S&P 500 index logged its second straight weekly gain even though stock indexes ended lower on Friday.
The S&P 500 index fell 0.4% to 2,986.20. The index is just 1.3% below its all-time high set in late July. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1% to 26,770.20 and the Nasdaq lost 0.8%, to 8,089.54. The Russell 2000 index of smaller stocks gave up 0.4% to 1,535.48.
^OPIOID CRISIS-LAWSUIT
Committee pitches concept to settle all opioid lawsuits
UNDATED (AP) _ A committee guiding OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma's bankruptcy is suggesting that other drugmakers, distributors and pharmacy chains use Purdue's bankruptcy proceedings to settle lawsuits seeking to hold the industry accountable for the national opioid crisis.
The committee says in a letter sent Sunday to the parties and obtained by The Associated Press that the country "is in the grips of a crisis that must be addressed, and that doing so may require creative approaches."
In a letter, the committee called for all the companies to put money into a fund in exchange for having all their lawsuits resolved. This, before opening statements are to be held today in the first federal trial seeking accountability in the epidemic that's been linked to 400,000 deaths since 2000.
^BOEING-FAA
Boeing says it "regrets" concerns over internal messages
CHICAGO (AP) — Boeing says it regrets concerns raised about internal communications it recently handed over to Congress and federal regulators that are investigating two deadly crashes of the company's 737 Max airplanes.
The company said in a statement Sunday it's unfortunate that messages between co-workers it turned over last week weren't released in a manner allowing for "meaningful explanation."
In the messages, former senior Boeing test pilot Mark Forkner told a co-worker in 2016 he unknowingly misled safety regulators about problems with a flight-control system that would later be implicated in the crashes. The exchange occurred as Boeing was trying to convince the Federal Aviation Administration the system was safe.
The FAA's administrator on Friday demanded an explanation from Boeing, including why the company delayed telling the agency about the messages for several months.
^JAPAN-TRADE
Japan exports fall for 10th straight month in September
TOKYO (AP) — Japan's exports fell for a 10th straight month in September amid weak demand in China, South Korea and other Asian markets.
The data showed a deepening impact from trade tensions between the U.S. and China and between Japan and neighboring South Korea.
The Finance Ministry says the trade deficit in September totaled $1.1 billion, a third consecutive month of red ink.
Exports fell 5.2% from the same month in 2018, with slower shipments of machinery and auto parts. Imports dropped 1.5%.
Exports to the U.S. dropped nearly 8% from a year earlier while imports from the U.S. declined 12%. The trade surplus with America fell 3.5% to 564.1 billion yen ($5.2 billion).
The tariff war between the U.S. and China has taken a toll across the region, hurting manufacturers within extended supply chains. Meanwhile, a dispute between Japan and South Korea over exports of certain high-tech goods has added to uncertainty.
^SPIKED CBD
Illegal vapes traced to California woman who was CBD pioneer
CARLSBAD, Calif. (AP) — A pioneer in marketing CBD as a health product has acknowledged selling large quantities of synthetic marijuana which was secretly added to vapes, sickening dozens of people.
Janell Thompson helped popularize CBD, the cannabis extract that isn't supposed to get users high.
CBD products from a Southern California company Thompson co-founded were in Oscar nominee gift bags in 2014. Federal prosecutors say that's also when she started selling synthetic marijuana, known as spice or K2.
Thompson pleaded guilty last month to allegations of supplying synthetic marijuana nationwide.
Vapes spiked with the street drug poisoned more than 40 people in North Carolina, including around military bases. Prosecutors also tied Thompson to a product called Yolo!, which sickened at least 33 people in Utah.
Thompson didn't respond to requests for comment.
^CHICAGO SCHOOLS-STRIKE
Classes canceled a 3rd day amid Chicago teacher strike
CHICAGO (AP) — More than 300,000 public school students in Chicago are getting another day off as contract talks continue between the teachers' union and the nation's third-largest school district.
Chicago Public Schools announced Sunday night that classes and after school activities are canceled today as the strike enters its first full week. The work stoppage began on Thursday.
The Chicago Teachers Union, which has 25,000 members, is demanding smaller class sizes and more resources for schools in the negotiations. It's the first major walkout by the teachers since 2012.
In a letter to parents Sunday, CPS said it's "committed to working around the clock" in order to finalize a deal with the union. Mayor Lori Lightfoot says the district has not received "full, written" counteroffers from the union on class size or school staffing.
^VIRTUAL RESTAURANTS
Online ordering boom gives rise to virtual restaurants
NEW YORK (AP) — The growing popularity of online ordering is giving rise to virtual restaurants, conceived only for delivery or take out.
Many restaurant owners are whipping up dishes in their own kitchens that can only be accessed through third-party delivery apps like Grubhub and UberEats. Other restaurants are expanding their footprint with "ghost kitchens," where food is prepared for online orders only.
The trend seeks to capitalize on the $26.8 billion online ordering market, the fastest-growing source of restaurant sales in the U.S., according to the NDP group. It also speaks to the power of third-party delivery apps, which have transformed expectations for speed and convenience. In many cases, those same platforms are extending their influence from how people get their food to what should go on the menu.
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