Reuters - U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson will emphasize during a trip to the Middle East the need to allow private sector investment in the oil industry, a senior Treasury official said on Wednesday.

Reuters - New orders for long-lasting U.S. manufactured goods dipped last month but demand outside of transportation jumped and a gauge of business investment rose sharply, suggesting surprising strength in the factory sector.

AP - Ford Motor Co. plans to conduct involuntary layoffs of salaried employees by August as part of a restructuring in the face of slumping sales and record-high gas prices, a spokeswoman said Wednesday.

AFP - The dollar advanced a few notches against the euro Wednesday as a better-than-expected survey on US durable goods orders offset a report showing German inflation had crept higher, dealers said.

AP - Wall Street managed to finish an erratic session with a moderate gain Wednesday as investors found some comfort in upbeat data on durable goods orders.

AP - The dollar rose against the yen Thursday in Asia as investors took heart from better-than-expected U.S. durable goods orders.

AP - Orders to U.S. factories for big-ticket items besides autos and airplanes showed surprising strength in April, raising hopes that manufacturing can help the economy shake off the slumping housing market and credit crisis.

Reuters - Inflation is rising globally because of an easy monetary policy, especially in the United States, leading economist and former U.S. Under Secretary of Treasury for International Affairs John Taylor said on Wednesday.

Reuters - Stocks fell in choppy trading on Wednesday as renewed fears about the health of the financial sector overshadowed stronger-than-expected data on business investment that suggested an improving economy.