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This afternoon's headlines: DaimlerChrysler acquires Detroit Diesel; LA transit workers turn down MTA offer; Europe may see more trucker protests; and more.

The price of crude oil continued to drop in Friday afternoon trading, falling 51 cents to $35.55 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange as Arab nations reiterated their promises that recent violence in the region will not affect production.

Today's technology headlines: Senate approves phone-tax repeal; FCC backs phone-service competition in business complexes; and foodservice distributor AlliantLink.com serves roadmap to e-business.

Rep. Bud Shuster (R-Pa.), facing the end of his tenure as chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, appears poised to retain a powerful position in transportation policy on Capitol Hill.

New gate-clearance technology implemented earlier this week at the Port of Savannah was blamed for excessive delays for truckers and a severe reduction in the amount of freight moved.

The Energy Department is coming under criticism for its failure to insist that oil released from the Strategic Oil Reserve be earmarked to assure sufficient growth in heating oil inventories.

In the news this morning: Oil prices linger near 10-year high; British Embassy in Yemen shaken by explosion; Boeing nears deal with UPS for cargo planes; and more.

Crude oil prices dropped for the first time in six sessions in Friday’s trading, due in part to expectations that tensions in the Middle East will begin to calm somewhat, Bloomberg reports.

This afternoon's headlines: Officials say Mideast violence won't affect oil supply; transport funding/hours bill now in Clinton's hands; Euell forfeits its share of SPR oil; and more to come.

Today's technology headlines: FreightDesk.com partners with Vastera; start-ups' optical chips are hot, but not with customers; A.T. Kearney partners with transportation exchange Arzoon; and more.