E. coli in carrots

sickens dozens

An outbreak of E. coli has infected dozens of people who ate bagged organic carrots, and one person died. Altogether, 39 people were infected and 15 were hospitalized in 18 states after eating organic whole and baby carrots sold by Grimmway Farms, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Sunday. Grimmway Farms, based in Bakersfiled, California, has recalled the carrots, which included whole and baby organic carrots sold in bags under multiple brand names including 365, Cal-Organic, Nature’s Promise, O-Organics, Trader Joe’s and Wegmans, among others. The carrots are no longer in stores, but the CDC  warns consumers to not eat recalled bag carrots and to check their refrigerators and throw away any carrots that fit the description. Most of the infected people live in New York, Minnesota and Washington, followed by California and Oregon, although infections have been reported in states throughout the country, according to the CDC.

U.S. homebuilders

confidence soars

Confidence among U.S. homebuilders advanced to a seven-month high in November on a jump in sales expectations and optimism a Trump administration will ease regulatory burdens. A gauge of housing market conditions from the National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo climbed 3 points to 46 this month. All three components of the index rose, led by the six-month sales outlook, which increased 7 points to the highest level since April 2022 on hope the Republican sweep in Washington will mean looser regulation and more construction. A measure of current sales improved to a six-month high and an index of prospective buyer traffic reached the highest level since April. Builders have blamed uncertainty over the presidential election for restraining sales recently, along with mortgage rates that rebounded after hitting a two-year low in September. Association Chief Economist Robert Dietz said Donald Trump’s election two weeks ago only alleviates some of the industry’s worries.

California ports

set cargo record

Cargo traffic at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach is at record highs. The two busiest ports in the U.S., which process about a third of all U.S. cargo containers arriving in the U.S., have seen increased activity after a labor dispute shut down major ports on the East and Gulf coasts for three days in October, recently released figures show. With the possibility of a second East Coast strike looming in the new year if dockworkers and maritime companies can’t agree on a contract, importers are diverting their goods to Southern California. President-elect Donald Trump’s promise to increase tariffs has also triggered an increase in imports ahead of his inauguration.

— Bulletin wire reports