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In brief: Blue Bird recalls school buses to fix safety problem

From Wire Reports

Blue Bird is recalling more than 2,500 All American school buses and some transit buses to fix a problem that could make steering more difficult.

The company also is recalling a smaller number of school buses that may be prone to a propane fuel leak, according to paperwork filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The school bus maker said it has received no injury or accident reports tied to any of the recalls.

Blue Bird Corp. said the steering problem can develop on some buses made between 2011 and in May if a steering shaft clamp comes into contact with a rubber close-out boot on the floor. It also is recalling more than 400 transit buses to fix the same problem.

The company has been monitoring the issue since in September, when it received its first report of the clamp contacting the boot. The company decided to conduct the recall last month after determining that the increased steering effort required in this situation could lead to an accident.

The company also is recalling 388 Vision school buses made in 2012 or 2013 to address the possible fuel leak, which could lead to a fire.

Crude oil price drops despite jobs increase

The price of crude oil slipped below $104 a barrel Friday, extending its drop to seven straight days, as expectations of increased supply offset strong U.S. employment growth.

By early afternoon in Europe, the benchmark U.S. crude contract for August delivery was down 74 cents to $103.74 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, was down 63 cents to $110.61 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange in London.

U.S. markets were closed Friday for the Fourth of July holiday and trading volumes in other markets were thinner than usual.

Crude fell despite signs the U.S. economy is steadily improving, which typically would increase demand for oil. The U.S. government reported that employers added a strong 288,000 workers to their payrolls in June.