1. OIL AND GAS:
U.S. suspends BP from new contracting, Gulf leasing
U.S. EPA announced today the suspension of BP PLC and its subsidiaries from new federal contracting, citing the "lack of business integrity" that led to the 2010 deadly explosion of the company's rig and massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The announcement comes weeks after BP pleaded guilty to several criminal charges -- including 11 felony counts of manslaughter -- under an agreement reached with the Justice Department over its role in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. Go to story #1