Your customized headlines for Tue, Mar 13, 2012

How much does the president have to do with the price of gasoline?

A lot, say American voters. According to oil experts and economists, not so much — at least in the short term.

Today's oil prices are the product of years and decades of exploration, automobile design and ingrained consumer habits combined with political events in places such as Sudan and Libya, anxiety about possible conflict with Iran, and the energy aftershocks of last year's earthquake in Japan.

The Federal Reserve said Monday that it will release its findings this week on how the country's biggest banks would fare under a nightmare economic scenario.

The latest round of stress tests examine whether the banks could withstand a crisis in which unemployment hits 13 percent, stocks fall by half, and housing prices drop 21 percent. Banks that are deemed healthy enough would be allowed by regulators to raise dividends for shareholders or buy back shares — both of which can boost their stock prices. Those that don't pass the test would have to raise their capital levels and face serious questions from shareholders. The results will be out Thursday afternoon.

The Obama administration plans to file a new trade case against China on Tuesday to loosen its restrictions on exports of rare-earth minerals — materials essential to the manufacture of a wide range of products, from missiles and computers to car batteries and cellphones — according to a senior administration official.

The Federal Reserve is likely to stand pat when it gathers for a policymaking meeting Tuesday as the central bank confronts confusing signals about where the economy is heading.

As Fed Chairman Ben S. Bernanke has acknowledged , the unemployment rate has come down more swiftly than he and other economists had anticipated. The job market appears to be healing faster as well, as demonstrated by last week's sterling jobs report.

AUSTIN, Tex. — Most years at the technology portion of South by Southwest festival here, the buzz follows location-based apps, games or communication tools. This year, though, a political undercurrent has charged the event.

The Federal Reserve is likely to stand pat when it gathers for a policymaking meeting Tuesday as the central bank confronts confusing signals about where the economy is heading.

As Fed Chairman Ben S. Bernanke has acknowledged , the unemployment rate has come down more swiftly than he and other economists had anticipated. The job market appears to be healing faster as well, as demonstrated by last week's sterling jobs report.

— The economic case against law school.

— How does the Associated Press run a bureau in North Korea?

— Mitt Romney, who turned 65 today, says he won't enroll in Medicare.

— Watching NASCAR seems to turn people into dangerous drivers.

It's no exaggeration to describe the health insurance exchanges as the health reform law's backbone: For the 32 million Americans expected to gain health insurance, these state-based, marketplaces will likely be their first point of contact with the Affordable Care Act.

On the anniversary of Japan's Fukushima disaster, NPR's Christopher Joyce looks at how the country is handling its energy needs. Nukes once provided a third of Japan's electricity. Now? Almost none. By April, Japan will have shut down its last reactor, most likely for good.