71.   Officials attributed the improvement to the booming economy and changes in the way the benefits are administered.

72.   Officials attributed the increase to favorable employment trends and a rebound in traditional urban economies creating jobs for people coming off welfare and others with limited professional skills.

73.   Officials attributed the jump to strong deposit business, increased loan volume, and cost savings from merging integration.

74.   Officials attributed the slower growth to the Easter holidays, which reduced the number of work days in the month.

75.   On Thursday, five Palestinian boys died in Gaza in an explosion that Palestinian officials attributed to an Israeli bomb.

76.   Officials attribute the delay to state privacy laws.

77.   Officials attribute the state-wide decline to safer cars, better life-saving techniques and more drivers complying with safety rules.

78.   Officials attribute these moves to stepped-up law enforcement along the border.

79.   Officials attributed the revised second quarter growth estimate to lower calculations of goods exports, consumer spending on services and business investment in durable goods.

80.   Other officials attributed the outage to a construction accident at the San Mateo substation.