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YRC Worldwide Inc. last week said it was consolidating top management of its less-than-truckload services as it also pursues moves to conserve cash, such as selling its headquarters and negotiating a proposed pension deal for its unionized employees.

Instead of buying only asphalt and steel, several states will spend federal stimulus dollars on “smart road” projects that use information technology to reduce congestion, according to a survey by the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The average price of a gallon of diesel fuel jumped 7.8 cents last week to $2.352 a gallon, the highest level since December, while gasoline rose another 8.9 cents as crude oil pushed near $70 a barrel, the Department of Energy reported.

WASHINGTON — The Highway Trust Fund, which got an emergency $8 billion cash injection from Congress last summer, is likely to run out of money in the next two months, the Obama administration said last week.

Truckers said they are adjusting to widespread fallout from the bankruptcy of General Motors Corp., whose vision of a scaled-down company could further weaken freight markets.

The path for 2009 freight rail legislation was simplified last week when Sens. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) and Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) agreed to work together on a single bill addressing shippers’ concerns about a lack of competition.

The U.S. unemployment rate jumped half a percentage point to 9.4% in May from 8.9% in April, but employers cut the fewest amount of jobs in eight months, the Labor Department said Friday.

I find it very odd that when Washington needs something from the people, they talk about family, but when the people need something from the government, they talk about business. This kind of duality of conflicting agendas contradicts reason and confuses everyone. Even if it is unintentional, it smacks of doublespeak.