Mark Brooks

The Energy Department's Energy Information Administration reported that natural gas in storage shrank by 146 billion cubic feet to 2.083 trillion cubic feet in the week ended March 1.

Draghi praised the progress made by the 17 European Union countries that use the euro in cutting their average government deficit to 3.5 percent of economic output overall last year.

If past site changes are any indication, the News Feed tweaks may take some getting used to and will likely lead to user grumbles.

The huge spending measure, which was passed on a 267-151 vote, would fund federal operations through September.

AIG's announcement that it launched a new division called Connective Mortgage Advisory Co. comes as the housing market recovers and the government steps up efforts to shrink its role in the mortgage finance system.

The euro fell to $1.2990 in midday trading from $1.3040 late Tuesday. The British pound fell to $1.5035 from $1.5115.

"I don't believe in pushing people to keep schedules. I'm just not going to do it, especially if safety is involved," former BP well site leader Ronnie Sepulvado said at a federal trial designed to assign fault for the deadly disaster to the companies involved in drilling BP's Macondo well.

Employers added 198,000 jobs in February, according to data released Wednesday by payroll processor ADP.

Following Chavez's death Tuesday, Venezuela, which is a member of OPEC and sits on the world's second-largest oil reserves, faces near-term political uncertainty that could bring further turmoil to its oil industry.

The meetings are part of Obama's broader outreach to Republicans after the White House and Congress failed to reach a deal to avert the $85 billion in automatic budget cuts that started going into effect Friday.

By early afternoon in Europe, benchmark oil for April delivery was down 10 cents to $90.72 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Lonmin, one of the world's largest platinum producers, said Tuesday that workers went on strike at one of its mines in South Africa.

On Tuesday, the Dow rose past its previous record set in October 2007. The Dow has more than doubled since falling to a low of 6,547 in March 2009 during the financial crisis.

A new study from the nonprofit Families and Work Institute shows a tide moving the other way, with more workers now telecommuting -- and men significantly more likely than women to be granted the freedom to work at least partially at home.

Automatic spending cuts that took effect last Friday are expected to touch a vast range of government services.

Stewart, 71, took the stand in New York State Supreme Court Tuesday morning.

Democrats thought House Republicans would accept some new revenues last month to minimize military cuts and to pressure liberals to confront entitlement spending. Instead, Republicans seem more determined than ever to block tax increases on high incomes, whatever the political risk.

Senior toolpusher Randy Ezell testified Tuesday at a trial designed to assign blame over the 2010 disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

Benchmark oil for April delivery was up 21 cents to $90.33 a barrel in morning trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

The effort is part of a huge spending measure released Monday that would fund day-to-day federal operations through September -- and head off a potential government shutdown later this month.