Government

The U.S. trade deficit shrank for a fourth straight month in July, reflecting a decline in the value of imports and a slight pickup in exports that are seen helping provide a lift to third-quarter economic growth.

WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency on Sept. 6 denied a request by Cheniere Energy, a leading U.S. producer of liquefied natural gas, to exempt two Gulf Coast plants from a federal air pollution rule.

Major League Baseball’s Oakland Athletics are one important step closer toward winning approval to build a ballpark as part of a $12 billion commercial development project at an abandoned terminal at the Port of Oakland.

The national average price of diesel dropped 3.1 cents to $5.084 a gallon, according to Energy Information Administration data on Sept. 5.

A 10-year Texas Department of Transportation plan to spend a record $85 billion to alleviate roadway congestion, enhance transportation safety and improve highways received the governor’s stamp of approval Aug. 30.

Georgia’s Port of Savannah is on a roll. The facility, less than 20 miles upriver from the Atlantic Ocean on the Savannah River, is in the midst of a burst of construction, improving the facility for trucks, rail and cargo ships, and propelling the port complex to the top tier.

Nevada officials have a new website launched by the governor showing federal infrastructure investments coming to the state and available grants to apply for future projects.

The latest U.S. effort to restrict chip exports to China from Nvidia Corp. and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. sparked concern that escalating government actions could cut off some of the semiconductor industry’s biggest companies from the largest market for their products.

The governors of Kentucky and Ohio have applied for a $1.66 billion federal grant to fund improvements to the Brent Spence Bridge, a span that connects the states and serves as a vital link for freight traffic.

To help communities rebuild vital infrastructure damaged by extreme weather and wildfires, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced $512.2 million in Emergency Relief Program funds to help 30 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.