Government

An index of leading economic indicators rose 0.2% in October, the New York-based Conference Board said Wednesday.

The American Transportation Research Institute is seeking input from carriers and drivers that travel North Carolina’s portion of Interstate 95 in connection with a study on how best to pay for improvements along the critical East Coast freight artery.

I just heard about the impending pilot shortage and the new regulatory requirement for 1,500 hours to qualify — five times the existing requirement.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has taken a good step in its drive to control “reincarnated carriers,” troubled companies that essentially seek to shed their safety and compliance woes by repainting the company name on their vehicles.

A new federal proposal would allow regulators to shut down fleets that employ officers who have shown an “egregious disregard” for safety regulations.

Hostess Brands, the maker of Twinkies, HoHos and Wonder Bread, said it is going out of business after failing to get wage and benefit cuts from thousands of its striking bakery workers, news services reported Friday.

The U.S. Postal Service ended its 2012 fiscal year with a record loss of $15.9 billion, compared with a loss of $5.1 billion for the same period a year earlier.

The consumer price index rose 0.1% in October, the slowest pace in three months, the Labor Department said Thursday.

The people have spoken. And the answer to the question, “Who will lead us in Washington?” is — depending on your point of view — “all of the above” or “none of the above.”

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced that bus and truck companies no longer will be allowed to request a 10-day extension to resolve an appeal after they are ordered to cease operations for unsafe business practices.