AP Executive Morning Briefing

The top business news from The Associated Press for the morning of Thursday, May 17, 2007:

Bank Board Considers Wolfowitz's Future

WASHINGTON (AP) _ Paul Wolfowitz's future as World Bank president rests with the 24 board members who are trying to resolve conflict-of-interest charges that have roiled the poverty-fighting institution. The board planned to resume deliberations Thursday.

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Memorial Day Travel Expected to Rise

WASHINGTON (AP) _ Despite record fuel prices above $3 per gallon, more Americans will travel by car over the Memorial Day holiday weekend than a year ago, according to a survey by travel agency AAA. In a sign that energy costs will affect behavior, however, AAA said travelers are planning to stay closer to home and take shorter trips. Travel-related expenses for U.S. households are expected average nearly $600.

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Hewlett-Packard 2Q Profit Falls 7 Pct.

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) _ Hewlett-Packard Co.'s robust second-quarter results _ including an additional $3 billion in sales _ pleased investors and signaled that CEO Mark Hurd's aggressive cost-cutting and operational efficiency measures are paying off. But Hurd says there is still plenty of room left to cut, particulary in overhead costs, even as the company heads toward cracking the $100 billion revenue mark this year and wages a fierce campaign against Dell Inc. in personal computers.

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S.D. Firm Gives Sunflower Seeds a Boost

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) _ Baseball players and truck drivers who chew sunflower seeds at work no longer have to down a cup of black coffee or a Red Bull for an extra energy jolt. A South Dakota company is infusing sunflower seeds with caffeine and other boosters commonly found in energy drinks.

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Le Coq Sportif to Open U.S. Subsidiary

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) _ Le Coq Sportif is back, and it's making its roost in Oregon. The parent company of the French apparel and footwear company announced it has repurchased North American distribution rights for Le Coq Sportif and is opening the company's first wholly owned U.S. subsidiary in Portland. Le Coq Sportif was once a must-have for the country club set, easily recognized by its triangular rooster icon. But it largely fell off the scene in recent decades.

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Boeing, Machinists Reach Tentative Deal

ST. LOUIS (AP) _ Boeing Co. said it reached a tentative agreement with the its workers represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 837 in St. Louis. The Chicago aerospace giant said late Wednesday that the agreement calls for an average 9.5 percent wage increase and a 17 percent increase in pension benefits.

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Oil Prices Climb on Gas Supply Concerns

SINGAPORE (AP) _ Oil prices rose Thursday on comments by a top OPEC leader that the oil cartel will not pump more crude to meet an expected surge in demand during the summer driving season. The concerns surfaced despite a U.S. government report that showed domestic gasoline stockpiles increased last week.

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Japanese Stocks Drop; Dollar Up vs. Yen

TOKYO (AP) _ Japanese stocks slipped Thursday, with losses in real estate and banking shares offsetting gains in consumer electronics and semiconductor makers. The benchmark Nikkei 225 stock index lost 30.40 points, or 0.17 percent, to 17,498.60 points on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. On Wednesday, the index rose 0.09 percent.

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Some in Minnesota Back Higher Gas Tax

NEW HOPE, Minn. (AP) _ Gas is a big expense for a company that has 40 truck drivers clocking 500 miles a day, especially with fuel costs hitting new highs all the time. But that hasn't stopped Liberty Diversified from supporting a nickel boost in Minnesota's 20-cent gas tax, to help pay for road projects aimed at clearing up traffic jams around Minneapolis-Saint Paul. "We don't see it so much as a tax increase but as a business investment," said David Lenzen, executive vice president of Liberty Diversified, a private company that delivers its packaging products around the Upper Midwest. "Gas prices go up and go down, but having our drivers stuck in traffic always costs us money."

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Google's Search Engine Goes Universal

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (AP) _ In its latest technological leap, online search leader Google Inc. will begin showing videos on its main results page Wednesday along with photos, books and other content previously separated into different categories. Under a new "universal search" approach that Google began rolling out Wednesday afternoon, some requests will produce more than just a series of links and snippets pointing to other Web sites.

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Scattering Choices Grow With Cremations

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) _ Dwight Smith and his mother made several trips to Ireland over the years, reveling in the beauty of the Killarney lakes in the southwest corner of the country. When Smith's mother died in August, there was no question she would be cremated _ a request she had made often _ or that her remains would be scattered near the lakes.

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Dollar-Yen

TOKYO (AP) _ The dollar climbed to a 2 1/2-month high against the yen in Asia Thursday following the release of Japan's gross domestic product figures, which showed that companies cut back on capital investment last quarter.

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