BC-Business News Digest

Business News at 5:00 p.m.

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All times EDT.

Adds: CHICKEN CHAINS, FBI-TRADING-INVESTIGATION ; VENEZUELA-RATIONING

Updates: CATERPILLAR-TAXES, EUROPE-FINANCIAL-CRISIS, APPLE-SAMSUNG TRIAL; OBAMA-HEALTH OVERHAUL; GENERAL MOTORS-RECALLS-FEINBERG

TOP STORIES:

GENERAL MOTORS-RECALL-CONGRESS

DETROIT — General Motors' new CEO and the head of the nation's auto safety watchdog are headed to Congress to testify about a defect in small cars that is linked to 13 deaths. In written testimony released ahead of a Tuesday House subcommittee hearing, acting National Highway Traffic Safety Administration chief David Friedman says GM had information connecting defective ignition switches to the non-deployment of air bags, but didn't share it until last month. By Dee-Ann Durbin. SENT: 980 words, photo.

With:

— GENERAL MOTORS-RECALL-TIMELINE — This is a timeline of key events, based on documents from GM, NHTSA and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. SENT: 1,000 words.

— GENERAL MOTORS-RECALLS-FEINBERG — General Motors has hired attorney Kenneth Feinberg to advise it on its recall of small cars, but says his hiring doesn't necessarily mean it will establish a fund for victims. SENT: 245 words.

And:

— AUTO SALES — U.S. auto sales went out like a lion in March. New car and truck sales picked up speed halfway through the month, culminating in a strong final weekend. Toyota dealers had their two best sales weekends of the year at the end of the month. By Dee-Ann Durbin. SENT: 620 words, photo.

EUROPE-ECONOMY

BRUSSELS — The unemployment rate across the 18-country eurozone was steady near record highs in February, official data showed Tuesday, indicating the economic recovery is not sufficiently strong to create enough new jobs. While the number of jobless dropped slightly, the unemployment rate remained flat at 11.9 percent, where it has been since October, according to Eurostat, the European Union's statistical agency. It peaked at 12.1 percent last year. By Juergen Baetz. SENT: 480 words, photo.

With:

— WORLD ECONOMY-INFLATION — Inflation slowed in major developed countries in February amid a steep drop in energy prices, a report shows. SENT: 210 words.

CATERPILLAR-TAXES

WASHINGTON — Calling Caterpillar Inc., a member of the "corporate profit-shifting club," Sen. Carl Levin accused the manufacturing giant Tuesday of employing an aggressive tax strategy to avoid paying billions of dollars in U.S. taxes. Levin opened a Senate hearing on the Caterpillar's taxes by detailing a strategy in which the company avoided paying $2.4 billion in U.S. taxes since 2000 by shifting profits to a wholly-controlled affiliate in Switzerland. By Stephen Ohlemacher. SENT: 820 words, photo.

FOOD-CRAFT BEER-AIRLINES

RICHMOND, Va. — Attention passengers, craft beer has reached 35,000 feet. As the airline industry works to improve its food and beverage options, a new trend has emerged — airlines adding craft beers to their in-flight offerings. By Michael Felberbaum. SENT: 720 words, photos.

MARKETS & ECONOMY:

WALL STREET

NEW YORK — New signs of life in the U.S. manufacturing sector helped push the stock market to a record high Tuesday. SENT: 600 words.

ECONOMY-MANUFACTURING

WASHINGTON — U.S. manufacturing grew at a slightly faster pace in March compared with February as factory output recovered from disruptions caused by severe winter weather. Manufacturers also received more orders, suggesting that production could strengthen a bit in the months ahead. By Christopher S. Rugaber. SENT: 420.

HOME PRICES

WASHINGTON — U.S. home prices rise in February from a year earlier at a solid pace, suggesting that a tight supply of homes for sale is boosting prices despite slowing sales. By Christopher S. Rugaber. SENT: 420 words.

CONSTRUCTION SPENDING

WASHINGTON — The Commerce Department reports on U.S. construction spending in February. For January, the department said spending increased slightly as strength in housing helped offset declines in nonresidential building and government projects. Most economists expect home sales to improve further in 2014 By Martin Crutsinger. SENT: 540 words.

— OIL PRICES — The price of oil falls slightly but remains above $101 a barrel, dented by soft Chinese manufacturing figures and expectations of another increase in U.S. crude stockpiles. SENT: 420 words.

— FBI-TRADING-INVESTIGATION — The FBI is looking into the practices of high-frequency stock trading firms, adding to the scrutiny that is being placed on the practice. SENT: 300 words.

INDUSTRY:

EXXON-CLIMATE CHANGE

NEW YORK — Exxon Mobil issued a report Monday on the risks that climate change policies could pose to the value of its assets and future profitability, by coincidence on the same day as the latest paper by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a Nobel Prize-winning United Nations group assembled to assess the science and risks of climate change. By Jonathan Fahey. SENT: 820 words.

STARBUCKS-PASTRIES

NEW YORK— Starbucks says it will start bringing back its cake slices in response to customer feedback. The company had been getting rid of the slices that came in banana, iced lemon and pumpkin flavors as part of a staggered rollout of its pricier new baked goods. In their place, Starbucks offered what looked like miniature loaves that cost $2.45, an increase of 20 cents. By Candice Choi. SENT: 530 words.

HEALTH OVERHAUL

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — President Barack Obama says 7.1 million Americans enrolled for health care coverage by Monday's midnight deadline. The total surpasses a threshold that had once been in doubt because of computer setbacks at the start of sign-ups in the fall. By Judy Lin. SENT: 1,160 words, photos.

With:

— HEALTH OVERHAUL-Q&A — It's time for a status report as the law marks a milestone, although no one's quite sure how to define success. SENT: 1,600 words, photos.

MAPLE SYRUP SURVEILLANCE

MILTON, Vt. — Maple syrup production has come a long way from metal buckets hung on trees, but even high-tech operations have had to rely on old-fashioned foot patrols to fix a common problem — leaks. But now sugar-makers are harnessing new technology to keep the precious sap flowing. SENT: 830 words, photos, video.

SANDY-SECOND SUMMER-RESTAURANT

UNION BEACH, N.J. — Superstorm Sandy trashed Jakeabob's Bay, a thriving bar and restaurant where locals and vacationers took in gorgeous sunsets over the Raritan Bay. When owner Gigi Liaguno-Dorr moved the business to rented space a few blocks inland for the summer of 2013, the move was hailed as an inspirational symbol of the plucky blue-collar town. But Jakeabob's won't live to see the second summer after Sandy. Liaguno-Dorr shut it down for good last Friday. By Wayne Parry. SENT: 680 words, photos.

MALAYSIA-PLANE

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — An aviation industry group is creating a task force to make recommendations this year for continuously tracking commercial airliners because "we cannot let another aircraft simply vanish" like Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. By Eileen Ng and Rob Griffith. SENT: 840 words, photos, video.

With:

— MALAYSIA-PLANE-CREDIBILITY GAP — It may mean little to investigators that the last words air traffic controllers heard from the lost jetliner were "Good night, Malaysian three-seven-zero," rather than "All right, good night." But to Malaysian officials whose credibility has been questioned almost from the beginning, it means a great deal. SENT: 950 words, photos.

— NATURAL GAS EXPLOSION — A large explosion rocked a natural gas processing plant on the Washington-Oregon border, injuring five workers, causing about 400 people to evacuate from nearby farms and homes, and emitting a mushroom cloud of black smoke that was visible for more than a mile. SENT: 690 words, photos.

— DAIMLER-EVONIK — Automaker Daimler AG is acquiring the remaining shares in a lithium-ion battery cell maker from specialty chemical company Evonik Industries AG as it intensifies its focus on electric cars. SENT: 150 words.

— DYSON-RECALL — Dyson is recalling about 393,000 portable electric heaters because they can develop an electric short and overheat, posing a fire hazard. SENT: 390 words.

— AIRBNB-CITY TAXES — Online home rental service Airbnb has agreed to pay San Francisco's 14 percent hotel tax, addressing at least one concern of critics who say the company is flouting regulations. SENT: 350 words.

— CENGAGE LEARNING-CHAPTER 11 — Textbook publisher Cengage Learning Inc. says it has emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after restructuring its finances. SENT: 60 words.

— CHICKEN CHAINS — Chick-fil-A widened its lead over rival KFC as the No. 1 chicken chain in the U.S. last year. Preliminary data from food industry researcher Technomic shows that Atlanta-based Chick-Fil-A held the lead because its locations are much busier, even though there are far fewer of them. SENT: 320 words.

TECHNOLOGY & MEDIA:

APPLE-SAMSUNG TRIAL

SAN JOSE, Calif. — In opening statements Tuesday a Samsung attorney denied the company had stolen technology from Apple, saying the South Korean tech giant's mobile devices contain Android software packages designed entirely by Google engineers. The trial in Silicon Valley marks the latest round in a long-running series of lawsuits between Apple Inc. and Samsung, with the companies accusing each other of stealing ideas and features. SENT: 790 words, photo, video.

MICROSOFT-WINDOWS

NEW YORK — Microsoft means it when it promises frequent updates to its Windows operating system to respond to complaints and other feedback. A new, yet-unnamed Windows update is expected this spring, just months after the Windows 8.1 update came out. Microsoft is updating its system for smartphones, too. Microsoft Corp. will likely provide more details Wednesday as the company opens its annual Build conference in San Francisco. By Anick Jesdanun. SENT: 770 words.

WEDDING-APPS

Doug Appleton's grandparents couldn't travel to his New York City wedding last October, but the tech-savvy Floridians were as present on the Big Day as anyone could be from 1,000-plus miles away. Thanks to FaceTime, the two-way Apple video-calling app, they watched as the ceremony unfolded. Next, they watched the party in real time via Wedding Party, an app that uploads photos taken by guests to a website that posts them in chronological order. Apps are part of many weddings today, from planning to honeymoon. By Diana Marszalek. SENT: 500 words, photos.

GOOGLE-STOCK SPLIT Q&A

SAN FRANCISCO —Google is poised to split its stock this week in an unusual way that could cost the company as much as $7.5 billion if it doesn't work out the way management envisions. Most companies split their stock because they want to lower the trading price of their shares so more people can afford to buy them. But Google Inc. is doing this to preserve the power of co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, who have controlled the company since its 1998 inception in a Silicon Valley garage. Here are some answers to common questions about the stock split's origins and its potential repercussions. By Michael Liedtke. SENT: 1,000 words.

—MARVELL TECHNOLOGY — A court awards Carnegie Mellon University $1.54 billion in a patent dispute with chip maker Marvell Technology. SENT: 130 words.

INTERNATIONAL:

UKRAINE

MOSCOW — Russia sharply hikes the price for natural gas to Ukraine and threatened to reclaim billions previous discounts, raising the heat on its cash-strapped government, while Ukrainian police moved to disarm members of a radical nationalist group after a shooting spree in the capital. By Vladimir Isachenkov and Peter Leonard. SENT: 1,090 words, photos.

EUROPE-FINANCIAL-CRISIS

ATHENS, Greece — Greece will start receiving its next 8.3 billion euros ($11.4 billion) in bailout loans at the end of the month, eurozone finance ministers say, citing progress after "many painful years" of reforms. SENT: 600 words, photos.

And:

— GERMANY-ECONOMY — Germany's unemployment rate drops to 7.1 percent in March, as the usual springtime increase in jobs was aided by stronger economic growth. SENT: 130 words.

JAPAN-ECONOMY

TOKYO — Japan raises its sales tax, moving to stabilize government finances but at the risk of undermining a shaky economic recovery. It's a gamble the world's No. 3 economy must take, given its soaring public debt. By Elaine Kurtenbach. SENT: 900 words, photos.

With:

CLIMATE CHANGE-ASIA

YOKOHAMA, Japan — Challenges such as extreme weather, rising seas and worsening scarcity of drinking water are forcing many Asian governments to confront the changes being wrought by a warming planet even as some point to rich Western nations as major culprits. By Elaine Kurtenbach. SENT: 970 words, photos.

And:

— ASIA-ECONOMY — Growth in the developing economies of Asia will edge higher as the recovery in rich countries helps the region weather the slowdown in China, the Asian Development Bank says. SENT: 250 words.

— VENEZUELA-RATIONING — Battling food shortages, the government is rolling out a new ID system that is either a grocery loyalty card with extra muscle or the most dramatic step yet toward rationing in Venezuela, depending on who is describing it. SENT: 825 words.

— JAPAN-WHALING-Q&A — Japan's whaling in the Antarctic is at a crossroads after the International Court of Justice ordered it halted this week, saying it's not really science. The ruling upheld the argument that Japan's research whaling is a guise for commercial whaling. It cannot be appealed, but Japan has some other options to consider. SENT: 630 words.

— CHINA-MANUFACTURING — An official measure of Chinese factory activity barely budges last month while a private survey found manufacturing deteriorated in the first quarter, adding to signs the world's No. 2 economy is slowing. By Kelvin Chan. SENT: 320 words.

— BRITAIN-ROYAL MAIL — The British government cost taxpayers millions by selling off the Royal Mail at too low a price, the country's public-spending watchdog says. The Conservative-led government sold a majority stake in the postal service last year, putting the system under private control for the first time in its 500-year history. SENT: 300 words, photos.

— JAPAN-STEM CELL RESEARCH — Data in a widely heralded stem-cell research paper was falsified, a Japanese government-funded laboratory says, as the lead researcher accused of the malpractice denied any wrongdoing. SENT: 600 words, photos.

— CHINA-CHEMICAL PLANT PROTEST — A southern Chinese city vows to listen to public opinion in deciding whether to go ahead with a petrochemical plant after protests by residents turned into violent riots. SENT: 460 words.

— PERU-MINE POLLUTION — Peru's environmental protection agency says ore extraction has been suspended for three days at the Chinese-owned Toromocho copper mine since inspectors found toxic discharge contaminating two highlands lakes. SENT: 150 words.

— JAPAN-MILITARY EXPORTS — Japan relaxed a decades-old ban on military-related exports in a bid to expand joint arms development with allies and equipment sales to Southeast Asia and elsewhere. SENT: 500 words, photos.

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CENTERPIECE

Feeling flat

The Dow Jones industrial average slumped in the first quarter to mark its first quarterly decline since the end of 2012. Here's a look at how the 30 Dow stocks are faring as the second quarter kicks off. UPCOMING: Graphic expected by 6 p.m.

COMPANY SPOTLIGHT

Hed: Say hello to The Priceline Group

Priceline.com has officially changed its name to The Priceline Group. UPCOMING: Graphic expected by 6 p.m.

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