BP: Federal agencies have approved more than $200 million for 18 projects to restore the open Gulf of Mexico after the 2010 BP oil spill. The largest is about $52 million to study deep-sea habitats. The smallest is about $300,000 to find ways to keep sea turtles from swallowing longline fishing hooks or getting tangled in the lines. The money is from a fund created by BP in a 2016 settlement for natural resources damage. Read the full story.
Interest rates: U.S. long-term mortgage rates rose this week. Still, rates remain at historically low levels as a lure to prospective homebuyers. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac says the average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage increased to 3.73% from 3.68% last week. The benchmark rate stood at 4.63% a year ago. The average rate on a 15-year mortgage rose to 3.19% from 3.14%. Read the full story.
Bulk goods: U.S. wholesale prices were unchanged in November as the rise in energy costs slowed following a big gain in the previous month. The Labor Department said this morning that the flat reading in November on its producer price index, which measures inflation pressures before they reach the consumer, followed a sizable 0.4% increase in October that was driven by a surge in energy costs. Read the full report.
