AUBURN HILLS, MI-Chrysler will invest $600 million in its Belvidere (IL) Assembly Plant to support the production of future models in 2012, increasing its investments in U.S. facilities to $2.1 billion since the formation of the new company in June 2009. MORE

LANSING, MI-GM will invest $190 million in its Lansing Grand River assembly plant for the production of a new Cadillac model. The investment will create 600 jobs and result in the addition of a second shift. MORE

WASHINGTON-Fewer people applied for unemployment benefits last week, the second drop in a row and a hopeful sign the job market could be improving. The Labor Department said Thursday that initial claims for jobless benefits dropped by 21,000 to a seasonally adjusted 434,000 in the week that ended Oct. 23. MORE

CHICAGO-Boeing Co.’s Seattle-area assembly plant has stopped receiving deliveries of big pieces of its new 787 jetliner while a supplier in Italy makes adjustments. The two-week pause is meant to give the supplier, Alenia, time to fix gaps in horizontal stabilizers. MORE

ITHACA, NY-Researchers from Cornell, the University of Chicago and iRobot Corp. have created a versatile robotic gripper using ground coffee and a latex party balloon. MORE

FREMONT, CA-Tesla Motors will unveil its plans today to modify the old New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. facility here to assemble the Model S electric sedan. MORE

GREENVILLE, AL-Hwashin America Corp. is investing $17 million in its assembly plant here, which produces chassis and other car parts for the Hyundai factory in Montgomery and the Kia factory in Georgia. MORE

COLUMBIA, MO-3M is expanding its solar film manufacturing facility here to support growing demand for flexible solar power modules. MORE

RINGGOLD, VA-United States Green Energy plans to relocate its manufacturing operations here and employ more than 370 people within three years. The company will invest $30 million to renovate a building to manufacture roofing and siding materials that generate electricity from sunlight. MORE

DALLAS-Combined with continued growth in exports, increased manufacturing is helping to stabilize the economic recovery in Texas, according to a monthly report by a private equity firm. MORE