MARY LOUISE KELLY, Host: NPR's business news starts with BP exploring for support.</s>MARY LOUISE KELLY, Host: U.S. officials are watching BP's finances closely. They've asked the company to give them advance notice of any major transactions. It's unclear whether BP has agreed to that.
The oil company's chief executive is in the Persian Gulf visiting Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. According to news reports, he may be looking for investors to boost BP's finances and help fend off any potential takeover attempts. BP's shares have fallen by half since the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.