Orders for U.S. durable goods -- items meant to last at least three years -- decreased 3.4 percent in December after falling 2.1 percent the prior month, data from the Commerce Department showed Tuesday in Washington. The median forecast of 80 economists surveyed by Bloomberg estimated bookings would rise 0.3 percent, with projections ranging from a 3.5 percent drop to a 2 percent gain. Excluding transportation equipment, which is often volatile from month to month, bookings fell 0.8 percent, the report showed. Orders for non-military capital goods excluding aircraft dropped 0.6 percent for a second month. To contact ... (full story)