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WASHINGTON — Work will begin immediately to develop a second round of fuel-performance standards for heavy trucks starting in model year 2019, an Environmental Protection Agency official said Wednesday.

Consumer confidence rose in June, the New York-based Conference Board said Tuesday.

Hostess is back under new management and leaner structure and says it plans to have Twinkies and its other snacks on shelves by July 15, the Associated Press reported.

President Obama said the Keystone XL oil pipeline should be approved only if it won’t increase net greenhouse-gas emissions and that his administration is planning to partner with truck makers to set emissions standards “for the next generation of vehicles.”

North Carolina lawmakers gave final approval to Gov. Pat McCrory’s transportation reform bill, a measure that changes how road funding money is distributed in the state.

The California Air Resources Board has stepped up enforcement of its stringent diesel truck regulations to ensure that trucks traveling from Mexico to the state’s ports and rail yards are compliant.

A Congressional panel established to identify ways to improve U.S. freight transportation efficiency visited FedEx Corp. facilities and the Port of Memphis, Tenn., late last week, meeting with representatives of the region’s freight transportation community.

The Senate is likely to hold a confirmation vote this week on Anthony Foxx to lead the Department of Transportation, The Hill newspaper reported.

The New York State Legislature passed a bill late last week to clearly define independent owner-operators in the trucking industry and crack down on employers who use the owner-operator model to avoid giving employees certain benefits.