News Briefs - Feb. 27
The Latest Headlines:
- Law Enforcement Seeks Link in Truck Stop Killings
- Consumer Sentiment Tumbles in February
- Chicago Business Index Remains at Strong Level in February
- Tentative Deal Reached in Calif. Grocery Strike
- Coast Guard: Mississippi River Backlog Being Cleared
- CN, Union Resume Talks as Strike Continues
- S.D. Senate Votes to Repeals Trucking Tax
- Cummins Launches New ISM Engine
- Intermodal Traffic Increase in Latest Week
- Consumer Sentiment Tumbles in February
Law Enforcement Seeks Link in Truck Stop Killings
Law enforcement officials from five states and 17 agencies met in Oklahoma City on Friday to try to determine whether one person was responsible for the murders of seven women, most of whom were prostitutes and were last seen at truck stops, the Associated Press reported.The bodies were discovered between July and January in four states: Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas and Mississippi.
Of the seven victims, at least six were prostitutes and at least at least four were last seen at truck stops, AP said.
Consumer Sentiment Tumbles in February
The University of Michigan said Friday its final reading of consumer sentiment for February fell to 94.4 from January's final reading of 103.8, which was its highest level in over three years, Reuters reported.Although this was the largest drop since just after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, it was higher than the preliminary reading of 93.1 released two weeks ago.
The survey's expectations index, which measures optimism about the next one to five months, dropped to 88.5 from 100.1 a month earlier. The preliminary reading for this month was 88.4.
he current conditions index, based on perceptions of consumers' financial situation and whether it is a good time to make major purchases, eased to 103.6 from 109.5 in January. The February index was at 100.4 in the preliminary report. Transport Topics
Chicago Business Index Remains at Strong Level in February
The National Association of Purchasing Management-Chicago said its business index in February held close to the highest level in almost 10 years.Although the index dipped to 63.6 from 65.9 in January, the gauge has exceeded 50, indicating expansion, since May. January's reading had been the highest since July 1994.
While the survey includes responses from businesses such as banks and telecommunications companies, the Midwest is the center of U.S. durable goods manufacturing, Bloomberg said.
The employment index increased to 54.8 this month, the highest since April 1998, from 48.3. The production index fell to 73 from a 20-year high of 76.5 last month and the new orders index dipped this month to 67.5 from
