Dennis Moore

WASHINGTON - U.S. housing starts rose 3.5% to a 560,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate in May, the Commerce Department reported today, up from a revised 541,000 rate in April.

WASHINGTON — Consumer prices rose 0.2% on a seasonally adjusted basis after a 0.4% increase in April, the Labor Department reported Wednesday. The May increase is the smallest rise since a 0.1% uptick in November 2010.

WASHINGTON - Consumer prices rose 0.2% on a seasonally adjusted basis, the Labor Department reported Wednesday, after a 0.4% increase in April. May's increase is the smallest rise since a 0.1% uptick in November 2010.

WASHINGTON — Business inventories rose 0.8% in April on a seasonally adjusted basis, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday. Sales rose 0.1%. The inventories-to-sales ratio was 1.26 for the month.

WASHINGTON — The producer price index rose 0.2% in May on a seasonally adjusted basis, the Labor Department reported Tuesday.

WASHINGTON - Business inventories rose 0.8% in April on a seasonally adjusted basis, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday. Sales rose 0.1%. The inventories to sales ratio was 1.26 for the month.

WASHINGTON - The Producer Price Index rose 0.2% in May on a seasonally adjusted basis the Labor Department reported Tuesday.

The Department of Transportation is proposing high-speed rail projects be built with 100% American-made parts and equipment.

WASHINGTON – The federal government posted a $57.6 billion federal deficit for May, down $78 billion or 58% from the $135.9 billion deficit in May 2010. Receipts are up 19% from last May, spending down 18%.

WASHINGTON – Import prices rose 0.2% in May, the eighth consecutive monthly increase, the Labor Department reported Friday.

WASHINGTON – The federal government posted a $57.6 billion federal deficit for May, down $78 billion or 58% from the $135.9 billion deficit in May 2010. Receipts are up 19% from last May, spending down 18%.

WASHINGTON – Import prices rose 0.2% in May, the eighth consecutive monthly increase, the Labor Department reported Friday.

WASHINGTON — The Maryland Transportation Authority is proposing its first statewide toll increases to generate more revenue to back bonds that were issued for two major highway projects and for rehabilitating aging infrastructure.

WASHINGTON — U.S. employers added 54,000 jobs in May, with 83,000 private workers being hired, the smallest private-sector growth in 11 months, while the unemployment rate increased to 9.1%, the Labor Department reported Friday.

WASHINGTON - U.S. employers added 54,000 jobs in May, with 83,000 private workers being hired, the smallest private-sector growth in 11 months, while the unemployment rate increased to 9.1%, the Labor Department reported Friday.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has scheduled a second meeting with local officials in Virginia for Friday as he tries to break an impasse over the cost of the second phase of the Washington, D.C., Metrorail extension to Dulles International Airport.

WASHINGTON — U.S. factory orders fell 1.2% in April, the Commerce Department reported Thursday. Excluding transportation, new orders dropped 0.2%.

WASHINGTON — U.S. nonfarm productivity rose at a 1.8% annual rate in the first quarter of 2011, according to the Labor Department’s second estimate released on Thursday.

WASHINGTON — There were 422,000 initial claims for unemployment insurance in the week ending May 28, down 6,000 from the previous week’s 428,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday.

WASHINGTON - U.S. factory orders fell 1.2% in April, the Commerce Department reported Thursday. Excluding transportation, new orders fell 0.2%.