ECONOMY
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
Durable Goods Orders Leap: Orders to U.S. factories rose a surprisingly robust 0.9% in May, the ninth increase in the past 10 months, the Commerce Department said. After inching up a mere 0.1% in April, orders for long-lasting products soared, with aircraft and parts leading the way, the department said. In another report, the Labor Department said first-time claims for state unemployment benefits increased by 3,000 last week, from 349,000 to 352,000, the biggest increase in six weeks.
