Also

* For the third week, fuel costs soared last week, rising an average 5.4 cents a gallon to $1.342, the Energy Department said. The most expensive regular gasoline was again found on the West Coast, where the average price was up 6.1 cents a gallon to $1.478.

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* United Parcel Service Inc.’s Teamster-represented aircraft mechanics rejected a tentative contract that would have provided a 14.1% pay raise on signing and a 28% increase over four years.