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WALL STREET

Stocks rise after a three-day slump

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are moving higher as the market stabilizes and investors see some buying opportunities after a three-day sell-off.

Technology stocks, which have taken a beating over the past week, rose the most. are among the leading gainers.

The S&P 500 was up about five to six points in afternoon trading, while Dow has been about 20 points higher, and the Nasdaq composite has been up about 30 points.

Gilead fell 3 percent following reports that Express Scripts, the largest U.S. pharmacy benefits manager, plans to ask its clients to join a coalition that would stop using Gilead's Sovaldi Hepatitis C treatment once a rival medicine is approved next year.

Investors will start to focus on company earnings this week. Aluminum maker Alcoa reports earnings after the close of trading Tuesday.

JOB OPENINGS

US employers advertised more open jobs in February

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. employers posted more job openings in February, a sign that hiring will likely improve in the months ahead.

The Labor Department says employers advertised 4.2 million job openings, up 7.7 percent from January. That's the highest number of postings since January 2008, when the Great Recession was just beginning and the economy had yet to suffer the full shock of the downturn.

Total hiring edged up 1.5 percent to 4.6 million in February. That's still less than a healthy job market, where around 5 million people are hired each month.

Hiring has accelerated over the past two months after a winter slowdown. After factoring in job losses, employers added 192,000 jobs in March and 197,000 in February, the government said last Friday.

OBAMA

Obama signs actions taking aim at gender pay gap

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pressing his pay-equity crusade, President Barack Obama has signed executive orders making it easier for employees of federal contractors to get information about wages. The actions aim to reduce gender gaps in compensation that continue to favor men.

Obama is sharply criticizing Republicans, saying they are obstacles to workplace fairness.

He signed an executive order that prohibits federal contractors from retaliating against workers who discuss their pay. He also directed the Labor Department to issue rules requiring federal contractors to provide aggregate compensation data by race and gender.

These actions were part of a concerted election-year effort with congressional Democrats to draw attention to women's pay. The Senate has begun debating legislation that would make it easier for workers to sue companies for paying women less because of their gender.

COMCAST-TIME WARNER CABLE

Comcast argues benefits of Time Warner Cable deal

WASHINGTON (AP) — Comcast is presenting its case for its $45 billion takeover of Time Warner Cable, saying the deal benefits consumers and doesn't limit competition.

It filed hundreds of pages of documents with the Federal Communications Commission today after filing a notice Monday with the Justice Department.

Tomorrow, Comcast Corp. executive vice president David Cohen will testify before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee.

Comcast says the $45 billion takeover will allow it to boost Internet speeds for Time Warner Cable Inc. customers, provide better video on demand service and broaden its commitment to "Net neutrality" — the idea that Internet providers should not discriminate against Web traffic.

Comcast says online alternatives have created competition in video, while there is at least one broadband competitor in almost all of its markets.

SUMMER GASOLINE FORECAST

Scant relief: Summer gas price to dip 1 cent

NEW YORK (AP) — Drivers will get the slightest of breaks on gasoline prices this summer, according to the Energy Department.

The national average price is forecast to fall — by just one cent — to $3.57 per gallon between April and September, the months when Americans do most of their driving.

Still, that would be the lowest average since 2010. For the year, the Energy Department's Energy Information Administration expects gasoline to average $3.45 per gallon, down from $3.51 last year and also the lowest since 2010.

World demand for oil is growing, but supplies are growing faster, thanks to higher production in North and South America. The price of Brent crude, a benchmark used to price oil used by many U.S. refineries, is forecast to fall 4 percent this year.

COAL ASH SPILL-NORTH CAROLINA

NC sides with Duke in appeal of coal ash ruling

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina regulators are joining with Duke Energy in appealing a judge's ruling on cleaning up groundwater pollution leeching from the company's coal ash dumps.

The state Environmental Management Commission filed notice Monday that it intends to appeal a March 6 ruling by Superior Court Judge Paul Ridgeway.

The commission and Duke contend North Carolina law does not give the state the authority to order an immediate cleanup. Ridgeway ruled the 15-member commission appointed by Gov. Pat McCrory and Republican legislative leaders has been misinterpreting the law.

Environmentalists say the decision to file an appeal directly conflicts with public statements from McCrory suggesting his administration is getting tough with his former employer in the wake of the Feb. 2 coal ash spill that coated 70 miles of the Dan River.

IMF-GLOBAL ECONOMY

IMF: World economy is stronger but faces threats

WASHINGTON (AP) — The global economy is strengthening but faces threats from super-low inflation and outflows of capital from emerging economies, the International Monetary Fund warns.

The lending organization expects the global economy to grow 3.6 percent this year and 3.9 percent in 2015, up from 3 percent last year. Those figures are one-tenth of a percentage point below the IMF's previous forecasts in January.

The IMF, in its World Economic Outlook report, makes no changes to its forecasts for U.S. growth, which it estimates at 2.8 percent this year and 3 percent in 2015.

The 188-nation IMF and its sister organization, the World Bank, will hold their spring meetings in Washington this weekend.

Finance ministers and central bank governors from the Group of 20 leading economic powers will meet on Thursday.

FRANCE-ECONOMY

French PM vows tax cuts for companies, households

PARIS (AP) — France's new prime minister is promising massive tax cuts for corporations and households, and the elimination of half of the country's administrative regions as he faces a confidence vote from lawmakers.

Manuel Valls said Tuesday the elections last month showed France had "too much suffering and not enough hope" with unemployment hovering around 10 percent and little hint of future growth. Valls was appointed by French President Francois Hollande to sell the unpopular leader's plans to turn around the economy. He said new proposals include 30 billion euros ($41 billion) in cuts to payroll taxes, as well as cuts to corporate income taxes and household taxes.

France hopes to trim 50 billion euros ($69 billion) from the budget, and persuade businesses to hire.

AMERICAN AIRLINES-BAG FEES

American, US Airways tweak fees, mileage rules

DALLAS (AP) — If you use miles to get a free ticket on American Airlines, you may have to pay to check your suitcase.

American and US Airways announced changes Tuesday to their policies on checked-bag fees and redeeming miles for free flights.

Passengers traveling on American on miles they earned or who paid full price for an economy seat won't get to check two bags for free anymore. Some elite-level frequent fliers on both airlines will get one less free bag than before.

As for redeeming miles for free flights, US Airways is ending blackout days. American will change the number of miles to get an unrestricted free flight — more on popular travel days, fewer on less-busy ones.

The two carriers merged in December and formed American Airlines Group Inc.

VOLKSWAGEN-UNION

Volkswagen expansion talks at standstill in Tenn.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Expansion talks at Volkswagen's lone U.S. plant have ground to a halt amid disagreements about the role of organized labor at the Tennessee factory.

An acrimonious vote at the Chattanooga plant in February was a narrow defeat for the United Auto Workers union.

Since then, the union has challenged the outcome of the vote with the National Labor Relations Board; a top labor representative on Volkswagen's supervisory board has denounced the actions of U.S. Sen. Bob Corker and Gov. Bill Haslam; and the governor has suggested the state has been unable to negotiate incentives with a VW official with final decision-making power.

State incentives for expanding the plant would have to be approved by the state Legislature, which is preparing to adjourn for the year in the next few weeks.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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