FACTORY ORDERS DOWN: New orders for factory goods — everything from food to steel to computers — fell in June for the second straight month, after rising for the previous nine months.
MANUFACTURING SLOWS: The Commerce Department's report is the latest sign that factory production, which has been a leading driver of the economy in the past year, is slowing.
SECOND-HALF STUMBLE: That slowdown is likely to weigh on the broader economic recovery. As manufacturing activity declines, factories are less likely to hire workers, which limits personal incomes and keeps a lid on consumer spending.
