HHS grants extra time to enroll for health care

WASHINGTON — Trying to avoid sending thousands away empty-handed, the Obama administration has announced that people who started applying for health insurance but aren't able to finish before the March 31 enrollment deadline will get extra time.

The latest tweak to the rules for President Barack Obama's health care law brought immediate scorn from Republicans committed to its repeal.

"The administration has now handed out so many waivers, special favors and exemptions to help Democrats out politically ... it's basically become the legal equivalent of Swiss cheese," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Wednesday.

The timing of the administration's announcement late Tuesday added to a perception of disarray that has dogged the health care overhaul from its early days. It also raised concerns about the potential for another round of technology problems such as the ones that paralyzed HealthCare.gov after its Oct. 1 launch.

"We are experiencing a surge in demand and are making sure that we will be ready to help consumers who may be in line by the deadline to complete enrollment, either online or over the phone," Health and Human Services spokesman Aaron Albright said Tuesday night.

Officials say the federal website that serves 36 states is holding up well under the added demand, with more than 1.2 million visits on Tuesday. But independent testing by Detroit-based Compuware has found that the site runs slowly when compared to other health insurance industry websites.

The White House is scrambling to meet a goal of 6 million signed up through new online markets that offer subsidized private health insurance to people without access to coverage on the job.

Officials said the grace period will be available to people on the honor system, meaning applicants will have to attest that special circumstances or complex cases prevented them from finishing by March 31.

It's unclear how long the extension will last. Some have urged the administration to allow until April 15, the tax filing deadline. People who are due refunds may be willing to put some of that money toward health care premiums.

The sign-up extension follows other delays, most significantly of the law's requirements that medium- to large-sized businesses provide coverage or face fines. The GOP is making repeal of the health care law its rallying cry in the fall congressional elections.

The White House had signaled last week that a grace period of some sort was in the works. Spokesman Jay Carney said Friday that people in line by the deadline would be able to complete their applications. Administration officials argue that's not extending the deadline. They compare it to the Election Day practice of allowing people to vote if they are in line when the polls close.

The decision to grant extra time was first reported late Tuesday by The Washington Post.

The administration's decision affects the 36 states where the federal government is taking the lead on sign-ups. But the 14 states running their own websites are likely to follow, since some had been pressing for an extension on account of their own technical problems.

Brian Haile, senior vice president for health policy at the Jackson Hewitt tax preparation firm, welcomed the move.

"The disbursement of tax refunds appears to be making a substantial difference in the willingness and ability of uninsured Americans to sign up for ... coverage," Haile said.

Jackson Hewitt projects the administration can meet the goal of 6 million only if it allows people to keep signing up through April 15.

Enrollment has already crossed the 5 million mark.

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Lachlan Murdoch returns to take leading role in father's empire

LONDON -- Lachlan Murdoch has returned to the fold to take a leading role within his father's empire after several years' break. Rupert Murdoch said Lachlan was a "strategic and talented executive with a rich knowledge of our businesses." Meanwhile, Lachlan's younger brother James has been given an elevated role within the hierarchy.Lachlan Murdoch has been named non-exec co-chairman of News Corp., and takes the same title at 21st Century Fox. James Murdoch has been named co-chief operating officer at 21st Century Fox.

Speaking about Lachlan Murdoch's appointment at News Corp., Rupert Murdoch, exec chairman of the company, said in a statement: "This appointment is a sign of confidence in the growth potential of News Corp. and a recognition of Lachlan's entrepreneurial leadership and passion for news, digital media and sport.

"In this elevated role, Lachlan will help us lead News Corp. forward as we expand our reach and invest in new technologies and markets around the world. We have many challenges and opportunities ahead, and Lachlan's strategic thinking and vast knowledge of our businesses will enable me as executive chairman and the company as a whole to deliver the best outcomes on behalf of our stockholders, employees and customers."

Lachlan Murdoch is a director of both News Corp. and 21st Century Fox, exec chairman of NOVA Entertainment Group, which under his leadership became Australia's number one national FM network, and exec chairman of private investment company Illyria. Until today, he also served as non-exec chairman of Ten Network Holdings, which is Australia's third-ranked TV network.

Prior to founding Illyria in 2005, Lachlan was the deputy chief operating officer of News Corporation (now 21st Century Fox), a role in which he was directly responsible for two thirds of the company's global revenue, with an emphasis on its U.S. television stations group and publishing assets.

Lachlan also had oversight of HarperCollins and the company's lines of business in Australia, including REA. He also served on the board of Foxtel and as chairman of Fox Television Stations, and was publisher of the New York Post. At Fox Television Stations, he oversaw the company's 35 owned-and-operated television stations.

As non-exec co-chairman at 21st Century Fox, Lachlan will work closely with senior management and the rest of the 21st Century Fox board in developing global strategies and guiding the overall corporate agenda. He will divide his time between Sydney and New York.

As co-chief operating officer at 21st Century Fox, James Murdoch will partner with Chase Carey, president and chief operating officer, to set the strategic direction and drive momentum across the company's global portfolio of assets. He will have direct responsibility for Fox Networks Group, which will now report to him, and will also have direct responsibility for the strategic and operational development of the company's owned and controlled interests in the pay TV services in Europe and Asia, Sky and Star respectively. He will continue to report to Carey.

James Murdoch serves as a director of both 21st Century Fox and News Corp., and until now had been 21st Century Fox's deputy chief operating officer and chairman and CEO, international.

Speaking about the brothers' appointments at 21st Century Fox, Rupert Murdoch, who is the company's chairman and CEO, said, "Lachlan is a strategic and talented executive with a rich knowledge of our businesses. From 1994 to 2007, Lachlan's executive career at the company spanned the globe, culminating as deputy chief operating officer responsible for the group's most important publishing businesses in addition to its vast U.S. television station holdings. I'm very pleased he is returning to a leadership role at the company, where he will work closely with me, Chase, James, and the rest of the board of directors to drive continued growth for years to come."

He continued, "We are pleased to elevate James into this important role alongside my partner and trusted advisor Chase Carey. I'm confident James and Chase will continue to make a great team during this time of immense opportunity. James has done an outstanding job driving our global television businesses and our shareholders, customers, and colleagues will benefit greatly from his many talents.

"This company has never been better positioned to capitalize on the increased global demand for quality storytelling and news, and our collective future has never been brighter."

(C) 2014 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

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UK man wins 16-year legal battle over laptop

LONDON — It started with an unwanted laptop, and it ended in Britain's Supreme Court.

A Scottish man on Wednesday won a 16-year court battle sparked by a wrangle over a loan he'd taken out to buy a computer.

Oil worker Richard Durkin bought a laptop from a store in the Scottish city of Aberdeen in 1998, using a credit agreement with lender HFC Bank for about 1,500 pounds. He returned the computer the next day because it lacked an internal modem, and tried to cancel the credit deal.

The bank said he couldn't, and after he refused to pay, declared he had defaulted. Durkin said the bad credit rating meant he was unable to buy a house.

Durkin took legal action, and in 2008 — a decade after the purchase — a court awarded him more than 100,000 pounds. That decision was overturned by appeals judges, and case eventually wound its way to the Supreme Court.

The saga ended Wednesday when five Supreme Court justices ruled that Durkin had "validly rescinded the credit agreement" and awarded him 8,000 pounds ($13,000) in damages, a fraction of his initial award.

Durkin said he had mixed feelings about the judgment.

"I'm glad that I've helped the greater good with a consumer victory," he said.

But, he added, the long legal campaign meant "I've got myself into a lot of debt, basically." Durkin estimated he'd spent 250,000 pounds ($414,000) on the case.

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Young workers change jobs frequently, study shows

WASHINGTON — The Labor Department says young adults held an average of just over six jobs each from ages 18 through 26.

Since 1997, the department's Bureau of Labor Statistics has been keeping tabs on about 9,000 young men and women born in the early 1980s, surveying their educational and workplace progress. The new survey is from interviews in 2011-2012.

According to the survey, more than two-thirds of the jobs held by high-school dropouts lasted less than a year.

Women in the group were more likely than men to have received a bachelor's degree, 32 percent of women to 24 percent of the men.

Meanwhile, a separate study by the New America Foundation think tank shows typical graduate student debt is $58,000 and growing at 8 percent a year.

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Obama highlights need for US-EU energy cooperation

BRUSSELS — A trans-Atlantic free trade deal would allow the European Union to reduce its dependence on Russian energy and strengthen its ability to stand up to Moscow on issues like Ukraine, U.S. President Barack Obama said Wednesday.

Several of the 28 EU nations regret their heavy dependence on Russian gas now that they are seeking to punish Moscow for its annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula.

Obama showed his willingness to help with the EU's energy quandary. "Once we have a trade agreement in place, export licenses for projects — for liquefied natural gas destined to Europe — would be much easier, something that's obviously relevant in today's geopolitical climate," Obama said.

Currently, the EU imports more than a third of its gas from Russia and tapping into the plentiful supplies in the United States would alleviate a pressing problem.

While Russia's economy would probably suffer even more from cutting off gas supplies to Europe in retaliation for tough economic sanctions, the mere prospect still scares EU leaders.

Providing more energy supplies would therefore also be a bargaining chip for Washington in the trans-Atlantic talks as both sides still have deep differences over a range of sectors, from farming to Hollywood movies.

It did not deter the 28-nation bloc from immediately reaching for the outstretched hand.

"We've asked the President to consider increasing the rhythm and scope of authorizations for export" of gas, said Joao Vale de Almeida, the EU ambassador in Washington.

However, Obama left no doubt that imports from the U.S. won't be a silver bullet, insisting "Europe collectively has to examine it energy policies."

Jose Manuel Barroso, the president of the EU's executive arm, the Commission, said the two sides had agreed to hold a meeting on energy cooperation next Wednesday in Brussels.

The meeting will be chaired by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and his EU counterpart Catherine Ashton, he added.

The U.S. has in recent years experienced a boom in gas production thanks to shale gas extraction. It remains reluctant, however, on authorizing exports to countries it doesn't have a free trade agreement with.

Experts say exporting more gas might lead to slightly higher gas prices in the U.S., but becoming a major exporter would also give the U.S. new geopolitical clout in the coming years. The first approved LNG export terminal at Sabine Pass, Louisiana, is scheduled to begin operations late next year.

Officials hope to conclude the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, or TTIP, negotiations by the end of the year, but that timetable might prove optimistic because many stumbling blocks remain.

The combined trade between the United States and the EU accounts for almost half of the world's gross domestic product and a third of world trade.

By embracing shale gas, the U.S. has seen falling both its dependence on foreign suppliers and energy prices. In densely populated Europe, however, shale gas exploitation through hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, remains very controversial because of concerns about possible environmental damage.

But the current tensions with Moscow are focusing minds.

"There will be a lot of people happy in Moscow if we fail on TTIP," Vale de Almeida said.

___

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Report: Digital sites bring momentum to news

NEW YORK — Growing digital outlets are bringing "a sense of momentum" to the news business even as long-term problems continue to plague the industry, a journalism think tank said on Wednesday.

The Pew Research Center's annual state of the news media report illustrates the rapid changes in the business and in consumer habits. Pew pointed to growing staffs at news sites like BuzzFeed and Mashable, and the development of Vox.com behind former Washington Post journalist Ezra Klein, as positive developments. Also, several digital organizations such as Huffington Post and Vice Media are pumping more money into international coverage.

More than their elders, young people are finding news clips online and spreading stories through social media — positive signs for a news industry that has struggled to reach a youthful audience, Pew said.

"There are appetites that seem to be developing in the digital realm for potentially reaching more people with news," said Amy Mitchell, director of journalism research at Pew.

Yet digital news is a small slice of the industry, with an estimated 5,000 full-time jobs at nearly 500 outlets, Pew said.

Meanwhile, full-time newspaper newsroom employment dropped 6.4 percent in 2012, Pew said. Newspaper advertising revenue declined 52 percent between 2003 and 2012.

Other findings in the annual report:

—SOCIAL NEWS

Half of people on Facebook and Twitter get news from the sites, and 62 percent do on Reddit. Mostly, though, that consumption is incidental: nearly four in five Facebook users say they see news while on the site for other reasons. One-third of people on Facebook "like" either a news organization or a journalist.

Entertainment is the biggest category of news that people say they get from Facebook.

Pew's research shows the growing importance of smartphone-wielding citizens as firsthand witnesses to news events: Ten percent of social media users say they have posted news videos they took themselves.

—LOCAL NEWS

Local television news saw its audience increase last year for the first time in five years. Local stations are also cash cows, driven by a growth in fees that stations charge cable companies for airing their content.

—DIGITAL VIDEO CLIPS

More than a third of American adults (36 percent) say they watch news video online, slightly higher than the percentage of people who watch cable news regularly (34 percent). About half of adults under 50 say they watch news video online. Ad revenue from digital news video is still a relatively small part of the market, but it grew 44 percent between 2012 and 2013. One sobering sign: the growth of people watching online news has slowed in the past couple of years.

—INTERNATIONAL NEWS

There's some stirring in international news coverage after years of decline in the mainstream media. Digital sites like Vice Media, the Huffington Post, Quartz and BuzzFeed are sinking resources into this area. Meanwhile, the number of international reporters working for U.S. newspapers declined by 24 percent from 2003 to 2010, and broadcast evening news programs are devoting less than half of the time to overseas reports compared with the 1980s.

—CABLE NEWS

Last year was a rough one for cable news networks. CNN, Fox News Channel and MSNBC saw ratings sink, partly to be expected the year after a presidential election. Prime-time viewership at the three networks was at its lowest point since 2007. MSNBC was hit hardest, with a 24 percent decline.

___

David Bauder can be reached at dbauder@ap.org or on Twitter@dbauder. His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/david-bauder

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Bodyguard: Berezovsky seemed 'broken' before death

LONDON — Boris Berezovsky's bodyguard said Wednesday the Russian oligarch seemed to be a broken man and had discussed killing himself before his apparent suicide last year.

Avi Navama told a coroner's inquest in Windsor, near London, that Berezovsky's mood plummeted after he lost a highly publicized billion-pound ($1.65 billion) legal dispute with fellow Russian tycoon Roman Abramovich.

He said Berezovsky seemed depressed and "very low" at the time, and had even discussed methods of ending his life.

"He had said 'Should I jump or should I cut my veins?'" Navama said.

Berezovsky's body was found slumped on the floor at his ex-wife's home last March.

Police said the death was "consistent with hanging" and that there was no sign of a struggle.

Berezovsky, who was 67, was a one-time Kremlin insider who had become a harsh critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin. He was living in Britain in self-imposed exile at the time of his death.

His bodyguard said Berezovsky was a changed man who complained about severe financial problems after his failure to win a court ruling against Abramovich, another prominent Russian oligarch who owns the Chelsea Football Club.

He described the courtroom loss as a "trigger" for Berezovsky's transformation from a dynamic, active man into someone suffering from depression.

At one point in the initial investigation, police advised Navama to leave the premises because of possibly high radiation — a cause of concern because of the 2006 death of Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko, who was murdered in London by radiation poisoning.

But officials said the high reading may have been caused by a faulty meter.

The inquest is expected to last two days.

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Stocks edge higher after manufactured goods report

NEW YORK — Stocks were mostly higher Wednesday after a strong report on American manufacturing. The maker of the hit game "Candy Crush Saga" flopped in its market debut and Facebook slumped after announcing its acquisition of virtual reality company Oculus.

KEEPING SCORE: The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose three points, or 0.2 percent, to 1,869 as of 1:10 p.m. Eastern time. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 40 points, or 0.2 percent, to 16,406. The Nasdaq moved in the opposite direction, and was down 10 points, or 0.3 percent, to 4,223 by the early afternoon.

BEST IN MONTHS: Orders to U.S. factories for long-lasting manufactured goods rose in February by the largest amount since November, 2.2 percent. Demand for airplanes and automobiles drove the gains. Last month's rise in durable goods orders followed a 1.3 percent drop in January.

SLOW GRIND: The stock market is still going through a phase of consolidation after big gains in 2013, and the second half of this year will likely be stronger than the first, said David Lafferty, chief market strategist at Natixis Global Asset Management.

Still, investors should expect lower returns this year. The S&P 500 is up 1.2 percent so far, after surging almost 30 percent last year.

"Equity markets will be fine this year, but expectations have to come down a lot," Lafferty said.

HEALTHY RETURNS: The stocks of health care companies led gains for the S&P 500 Wednesday. The sector is rebounding after getting caught up in a brief sell-off of biotechnology stocks on Friday and Monday. Tenet Healthcare rose $2.69, or 6.9 percent, to $41.57. Quest Diagnostic rose $3.12, or 5.7 percent, to $58.06.

VIRTUAL REALITY: Facebook fell $2.44, or 3.8 percent, to $62.45 after agreeing to pay $2 billion for virtual reality company Oculus. It's Facebook's second big acquisition in as many months. Last month the social network announced that it would pay $19 billion for messaging startup WhatsApp.

CANDY CRUSHED: King Digital Entertainment, the maker of the popular "Candy Crush Saga" game, slumped on its first day of trading. The company raised $499.5 million in an initial public offering. The stock fell $2.53, or 11.2 percent, to $19.91 by midday trading.

FIVE BELOW: Discount retailer Five Below shot higher after its quarterly profit and sales beat analysts' expectations. The stock jumped $4.75, or 12.5 percent, to $42.87 before the start of regular trading.

GAMBLING PROBLEMS: International Game Technology fell $1.26 cents, or 8.5 percent, to $13.59 after the company lowered its annual profit forecast, saying North American gambling revenue has declined more steeply than it expected. Its international business is being hurt by weakening currencies and other problems.

TREASURYS AND COMMODITIES: Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note edged down to 2.71 percent from 2.75 percent from late Tuesday. The price of crude oil rose 66 cents to $99.85 a barrel. Gold fell $8.20, or 0.6 percent, to $1,303.10 an ounce.

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Levis Strauss to eliminate about 800 positions

SAN FRANCISCO — Levi Strauss & Co. will eliminate about 800 jobs, almost 20 percent of its non-retail and non-manufacturing employees, over the next 12 to 18 months.

The privately held company said Wednesday that the cuts will include some management positions and what it considers duplicate roles. Levi Strauss, which also makes the Dockers and Denizen brands, said that final plans will vary by country, and final estimates for headcount, timing and charges in certain areas of the business, may change.

The company's products are sold in approximately 2,800 retail stores and shop-in-shops globally, as well as online.

The job eliminations are part of the first phase of a restructuring plan that is expected to result in about $75 million to $100 million in annual savings, before accounting for charges related to those cuts. Those charges, which will total approximately $65 million, will mostly be recorded in the first quarter.

The entire restructuring plan is expected to deliver $175 million to $200 million a year in savings.

Levi Strauss, which is based in San Francisco, said that additional charges will be recorded in the future.

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House Dems try to force vote on immigration

WASHINGTON — House Democrats deployed a little-used legislative move Wednesday to force a vote on a comprehensive immigration bill, an effort doomed to fail but designed to increase the election-year pressure on Republicans to act.

"It is time for us to have a vote," said Rep. Xavier Becerra, D-Calif., who joined with more than a dozen Democrats, advocates and actress America Ferrera to mark 273 days since the Senate passed a bipartisan bill. They insisted that House Republican leaders act.

Standing on the east steps of the Capitol in a light snow and biting wind, proponents argued that they had the necessary votes in the House for a bill that would provide a path to citizenship for the estimated 11 million immigrants living in the country illegally and tighten border security.

"We're tired of the House of Representatives leaders and their refusal to act," Ferrera said.

Democrats introduced a discharge petition that requires the signature of 218 for legislative action, an effort that stands little chance of success as Republicans, even those supportive of immigration legislation, are unwilling to defy their leadership. Democrats hold 199 seats in the House and would need dozens of GOP supporters.

The GOP is reluctant to vote on the divisive issue in an election year, especially with all signs pointing to major gains for Republicans in the November midterms.

After months of conciliatory talk, President Barack Obama issued a statement praising the Democratic effort and chastising the Republicans.

"Immigration reform is the right thing to do for our economy, our security and our future," Obama said. "A vast majority of the American people agree. The only thing standing in the way is the unwillingness of Republicans in Congress to catch up with the rest of the country."

The Senate passed a comprehensive bill last June, but the measure has stalled in the GOP-controlled House where Republicans have argued for a piecemeal approach to reforming the system. That effort has gone nowhere as bills approved by the Judiciary Committee last summer have languished.

Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and other GOP leaders unveiled a set of immigration principles in January, but rank-and-file members balked at moving ahead on any legislation. Boehner attributed the GOP roadblock to a collective distrust of Obama to enforce any new laws.

Michael Steel, a spokesman for Boehner, dismissed the Democratic procedural move, pointing to Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi's admission earlier this month that they wouldn't get the necessary 218 votes.

The reluctance among Republicans comes despite business groups led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, unions, religious leaders and other activists banding together to push for immigration legislation. National Republicans also have argued that failure to act this year could cost the GOP politically in presidential elections.

Opposition remains strong among some in the GOP who see the legislation as amnesty and detrimental to U.S. workers.

"Incredibly, House Democrats have unified behind an immigration bill that would double the inflow of new guest workers competing against jobless Americans in every single U.S. occupation - from engineering to teaching to manufacturing," said Stephen Miller, a spokesman for Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, the top Republican on the Budget Committee.

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