Business Highlights

By The Associated Press

Senate Republicans brake rush to tax AIG bonuses

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans are drawing out a flap that has made the Obama administration squirm, applying the brakes to Democratic attempts to quickly tax away most of the bonuses at troubled insurance giant AIG and other bailed-out companies.

Sen. Jon Kyl, the Republicans' vote counter, blocked Democratic efforts Thursday evening to bring up the Senate version of the tax bill to recoup most of the $165 million paid out by AIG last weekend and other bonuses in 2009. The House had swiftly approved its version of the bill earlier in the day.

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Stocks fall, but still log second week of gains

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street's mid-March rally is on hold, but the Dow Jones industrial average still managed its first two-week gain in close to a year.

After starting Friday mixed, stocks veered lower in the afternoon as financial shares fell and investors collected profits from the advance that saw the Dow rise 14 percent over seven trading days. One reason for the market's pause after such a big surge: It ran out of upbeat economic and corporate news the past two days.