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Twenty-five percent of the nation’s 603,000 bridges are structurally deficient in some way, but the federal government lacks the analytic and procedural tools to determine what impact federal bridge money would have in addressing the problem, a Government Accountability Office report said.

P.A.M. Transportation Services reported a profit of $1.3 million in the second quarter, compared with a $2.4 million loss a year ago.

In a plea to the Pennsylvania State Legislature to hold a special session on transportation funding, Gov. Edward Rendell (D) recently told members of the Senate Transportation Committee that, collectively in their 13 districts, they have 1,970 structurally deficient bridges.

Florida and Louisiana are among six states this year to pass anti-indemnification laws that prohibit contractors from shifting insurance liabilities onto truckers.

As of this month, under a new Georgia law carriers in that state can no longer be forced to accept unwarranted insurance liability in order to get a special permit.

Daimler AG said Tuesday that it earned $2.74 billion (2.1 billion euros) in the second quarter, matching a forecast from earlier in July, the Associated Press reported.

Kansas City Southern said it earned $34.6 million, or 34 cents a share, in its second quarter, compared with $6.5 million, or 7 cents, the previous year.

Consumer confidence declined this month to its lowest level in five months, the New York-based Conference Board said Tuesday.

Wright Express Corp.’s second-quarter profit fell to $30 million, or 77 cents per share, compared with $93.2 million, or $2.36, a year ago.