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December truck tonnage increased by 1.4% from year-ago levels, the first back-to-back improvement in freight volume since May and June 2006, American Trucking Associations reported in its national index.

WASHINGTON — The Democratic chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, in a speech to American Trucking Associations’ winter meeting here, delivered a scathing criticism of the Bush administration’s handling of transportation issues as he backed the report of a congressional commission that called for major federal spending on infrastructure funded by fuel-tax increases.

WASHINGTON — With an eye on the congressional debate next year over reauthorizing transportation legislation, leaders of American Trucking Associations agreed on the need for the industry to come together on key issues and established a task force to work on safety issues.

Construction spending fell 1.1% December, the Commerce Department said Friday.

The Institute for Supply Management’s manufacturing index moved into positive territory and showed expansion in January, ISM said Friday.

U.S. consumer confidence rose in January, according to the University of Michigan’s monthly consumer sentiment index released Friday.

New rules for the types of identification that U.S. and Canadian citizens must present to cross into the country took effect Thursday and authorities were optimistic the changes would not cause significant delays, the Associated Press reported.

Consumer personal spending rose at a rate of 0.2% in November, the slowest in six months, the Commerce Department said Thursday.

The economy expanded at a 0.6% annual growth rate in the fourth quarter, slowing from the third quarter’s 4.9% rate, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.