Boston proposal would boost gender therapy access

BOSTON — City worker health plans should cover gender reassignment surgery, two Boston city councilors proposed Monday.

The plan from City Councilors-at-Large Michelle Wu and Ayanna Pressley would guarantee transgender city employees access to the surgery as well as hormone therapy and mental health services. The measure was placed on the agenda for Wednesday's council meeting.

"The city of Boston and our city government should be doing everything we can to make sure we are doing that with the most inclusive policies," Wu told The Boston Globe (http://b.globe.com/1hNARh3 ). "It's the best business decision, as well as the right thing to do."

The ordinance is meant to affirm human rights for transgender people and also make city jobs attractive and welcoming to the widest range of talent.

The proposal would ban the city from contracting with any health insurer that denies benefits or "discriminates in the amount of premium, policy fees, or rates charged" on the basis of gender identity.

Mayor Martin J. Walsh supports the proposal, a spokeswoman said.

Walsh recently recommended a coverage mandate for transgender treatment to the city's Public Employee Committee, which advises officials on health care and other human resources issues, according to his spokeswoman, Kate Norton.

"This is something that Mayor Walsh is wholeheartedly in support of," Norton said.

Transgender city workers are guaranteed medical treatment by statutes in San Francisco; Seattle; Portland, Ore.; Washington, D.C.; and other U.S. cities, according to Andrew Cray, a policy analyst at the Center for American Progress in Washington.

Ensuring that city workers have access to transgender health services appears to have little effect on the cost of insurance premiums. Figures provided in the draft ordinance show that Portland, Ore., experienced only a .08 percent increase in insurance costs after removing exclusions on care for gender-transition services.

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Information from: The Boston Globe, http://www.bostonglobe.com

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Space station launch Monday despite dead computer

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The International Space Station is about to get some fresh groceries and material for an urgent repair job.

An unmanned SpaceX rocket was scheduled to blast off at 4:58 p.m. Monday with more than 2 tons of supplies.

NASA spent much of the weekend debating whether to proceed with the launch of the Dragon cargo ship, already a month late. A critical backup computer failed outside the space station Friday; flight controllers were trying to activate it for a routine software load.

Mission managers decided Sunday to stick with the launch plan after making sure everything would be safe. The prime computer has been working fine so far. The plan is to put the solar wings in the proper position for the capsule's arrival soon after the SpaceX launch, in case of additional failures in orbit.

It's the first breakdown ever of one of these so-called space station MDMs, or multiplexer-demultiplexers, used to route computer commands for a wide variety of systems. Forty-five MDMs are scattered around the orbiting lab. The failed one is located outside and therefore will require spacewalking repairs.

The Dragon capsule holds a gasket-like material for next week's computer replacement. This new material was rushed to the launch site over the weekend.

NASA astronauts Rick Mastracchio and Steven Swanson will perform the job next Tuesday. It will take several days to get the replacement computer ready for installing, thus the one-week wait before the spacewalk, NASA's Kenny Todd, a station operations manager, said Monday.

SpaceX — Space Exploration Technologies Corp. of California — is one of two American companies hired by NASA to fill the cargo gap left when the space shuttles retired in 2011. Orbital Sciences Corp. of Virginia is the other.

Russia, Japan and Europe also chip in occasional cargo ships. But only the SpaceX Dragon can return a load of experiments and failed equipment back to Earth for analysis. The other cargo ships, essentially trash cans at mission's end, burn up upon re-entry.

This Dragon — the fourth one destined for the space station — also holds a new spacesuit for the six-man crew, spare parts for the spacesuits already in orbit, food, science experiments and legs for the space station humanoid, Robonaut. The experimental robot currently exists just from the waist up.

A space station astronaut almost drowned during a spacewalk last summer because of equipment failure; his helmet filled with water from the suit's cooling system. NASA wants this new spacesuit on board as quickly as possible, Todd said.

The Dragon was supposed to soar in mid-March, but was delayed first by the need for extra launch preparations and then problems with Air Force radar.

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Online:

NASA: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html

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World stocks recover after strong US data

LONDON — Global stock markets recovered Monday as strong economic and corporate news from the U.S. offset concerns about the crisis in Ukraine.

A 1.1 percent rise in U.S. retail sales in March — the biggest in 18 months — boosted sentiment, as did better-than-expected earnings from Citigroup bank.

Investors had earlier been cautious, selling off stocks in Europe, on concern of a flare-up in Ukraine's crisis. Ukrainian and Western officials have accused Moscow of instigating a pro-Russian insurgency in eastern Ukraine. That raised the prospect of more sanctions against Russia, possibly affecting the valuable energy trade.

In Europe, Germany's DAX closed 0.3 percent higher at 9,339.17 and France's CAC-40 gained 0.4 percent to 4,384.56. Separate data earlier showed industrial production rose 0.2 percent in the eurozone in February. Though the rise was up from no growth in January, it is still relatively weak.

Britain's FTSE 100 rose 0.3 percent to 6,583.76. Russia's MICEX index failed to recover, dropping 1.3 percent.

On Wall Street, the Dow Jones industrial average rose 0.8 percent to 16,156.54 while the broader S&P 500 rose 0.9 percent to 1,832.

Investors have been cautious for the past week in the U.S. due to suggestions that technology stocks were overvalued. The tech-heavy Nasdaq index was up 1.1 percent on Monday.

Earlier, in Asia, Tokyo's Nikkei 225 shed 0.4 percent to close at 13,910.16 and Sydney's S&P/ASX 200 tumbled 1.3 percent to 5,358.9. China's benchmark Shanghai Composite Index was little changed at 2,131.54 while Seoul's Kospi held steady at 1,997.02.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was the region's only major gainer, rising 0.2 percent to 23,048.40.

In other markets, benchmark U.S. crude for May delivery was up 10 cents to $103.84. The dollar rose to 101.83 yen from 101.63 yen late Friday. The euro fell to $1.3823 from $1.3852.

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Endurance offers to buy Aspen Insurance for $3.2B

PEMBROKE, Bermuda — Endurance Specialty Holdings Ltd. said Monday that it is moving forward with a proposal to buy Aspen Insurance Holdings Ltd. for about $3.2 billion after being snubbed by the fellow insurance company.

Endurance told Aspen's board of directors that it's offering $47.50 for each share of the company, a nearly 21 percent increase from Aspen's closing price of $39.37 on Friday. For each Aspen share, shareholders can select cash, 0.8826 of an Endurance share or a combination.

"Despite our repeated attempts since late January to engage in confidential and friendly discussions, Aspen's board and management have rebuffed our proposal and refused to engage with us," said Endurance CEO John Charman in a statement.

Representatives from Aspen did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Charman said the deal could increase profits, save costs by more than $100 million a year and increase earnings per share for Endurance.

The combined company would have over $5 billion in annual gross premiums written, Endurance said.

In midday trading, Aspen shares rose $4.43, or 11 percent, to $43.80. Endurance shares fell 92 cents to $52.90.

Both insurance companies are based in Bermuda.

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A gallon of gas in Massachusetts up a penny

BOSTON — The price of a gallon of gasoline in Massachusetts has inched up by a penny for the second consecutive week.

AAA Southern New England reports Monday that a gallon of self-serve, regular is up to an average of $3.53 per gallon.

That's 11 cents lower than the national average and 6 cents lower than the in-state price at the same time last year, but 2 cents higher than a month ago.

AAA found self-serve, regular selling for as low as $3.39 per gallon and as high as $3.75.

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Boston mayor seeks tax breaks for Fenway project

BOSTON — Mayor Martin J. Walsh proposed $4.6 million in tax breaks to spark construction of a $550 million retail and residential development that would straddle the Massachusetts Turnpike near Fenway Park.

A Boston Redevelopment Authority board vote on the financing is scheduled for Thursday.

The project known as Fenway Center has languished for years due to legal and permitting challenges, and the developer has struggled to generate enough funding to move forward.

"This is a positive partnership that's going to help to spur growth," Walsh told The Boston Globe (http://b.globe.com/1hAEaNs ). "The city is open for business, and we're going to work with developers on good solid projects that can be supported by the community."

Fenway Center would have residential and commercial space in five buildings between Brookline Avenue and Beacon Street. It would include 420 apartments, space for stores, restaurants and offices, and nearly 1,000 parking spaces. Plans also call for a farmers market and a bike-sharing station.

The project is particularly costly and complex because it requires construction of a $35 million deck over the Mass Pike to support its main parking garage and a 27-story tower with offices, apartments and stores.

"We are going to cover up the highway and build a new neighborhood out of thin air," said John Rosenthal, president of developer Meredith Management Corp.

The tax relief would be structured to help fund construction of the project's retail spaces, not its apartments, Rosenthal and city officials said. The deal would reduce the project's taxes over a six-year period during its construction and early years of operation. After its completion, Fenway Center is expected to generate about $5 million a year in taxes.

Currently, the property generates about $152,000 a year.

The tax deal needs approval from the City Council and state economic officials, in addition to the redevelopment authority board.

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US stocks rise on retail sales increase

Stocks got a boost Monday from a government report showing U.S. retail sales notched their biggest increase in 18 months in March. Investors also bid up Citigroup after the bank's latest quarterly earnings beat Wall Street's expectations. A positive earnings outlook from WebMd also helped ease worries that first-quarter corporate earnings would be weak.

KEEPING SCORE: The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 14 points, or 0.8 percent, to 1,830 as of noon Eastern Time. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 110 points, or 0.7 percent, to 16,137. The Nasdaq added 36 points, or 0.9 percent, to 4,036.

The S&P 500 dropped 2.7 percent last week, its worst weekly showing since January. The Nasdaq composite notched its third consecutive weekly decline.

SALES UP: Retail sales rose 1.1 percent in March, the best showing since September 2012, the Commerce Department reported. The government also revised February's figure to a 0.7 percent gain, more than double its previous estimate. Sales dropped in January and December.

"Retail sales was a really big number and very impressive," said Doug Cote, chief market strategist at ING U.S. Investment Management. "It bodes well for the market."

CITI: Citigroup reported a 2.5 percent increase in first-quarter profit. Both income and revenue beat Wall Street's expectations. The lender got a boost from improving results in its Citi Holdings unit, which is selling off assets such as mortgages that soured in the financial crisis. Citi's shares surged $1.91, or 4.2 percent, to $47.59.

POSITIVE PROGNOSIS: WebMD said it expects to report strong first-quarter results at the end of the month and anticipates reaching the upper end of its annual earnings and revenue projections. The health website operator's stock climbed $7.19, or 19.1 percent, to $44.88.

SECTOR WATCH: All 10 sectors in the S&P 500 index rose, led by energy and technology.

HEART STOPPER: Medical device maker Edwards Lifesciences rose the most of any stock in the S&P 500 index. A federal judge on Friday reaffirmed an earlier ruling that Medtronic's CoreValve system infringes on Edwards' patent for a replacement heart valve. Edwards soared $9.81, or 13.4 percent, to $82.78. Medtronic fell $1.27, or 2.2 percent, to 57.93.

STOCK SPOTLIGHT: Among the biggest risers in midday trading were F5 Networks, up $5.65, or 5.5 percent, to $108.60, and Micron Technology, which added 91 cents, or 4.3 percent, to $22.04. Decliners included Intuitive Surgical, which shed $7.27, or 1.7 percent, to $432.30. Gap slipped 70 cents, or 1.8 percent, to $37.70.

EARNINGS RADAR: Citi's solid quarter and the encouraging earnings outlook by WebMD were welcome surprises after an earnings miss last week by JPMorgan Chase that got the first-quarter earnings season off to a sluggish start. Analysts still expect first-quarter earnings for companies in the Standard & Poor's 500 to decline 1.6 percent from a year earlier, according to FactSet, a financial data provider. If profits do fall, it would be only the second quarterly drop in three years. Among the major companies due to report earnings this week are Johnson & Johnson, Google, General Electric and UnitedHealth.

BONDS AND COMMODITIES: In government bond trading, the yield on the 10-year Treasury note inched up to 2.65 percent from 2.63 percent late Friday. The price of crude oil rose 17 cents to $103.91 a barrel. Gold rose $7.60 to $1,326.60 an ounce.

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Vidalia onion farmer back in court over ship date

SAVANNAH, Ga. — One of Georgia's most prominent Vidalia onion farmers is going back to court in an effort to stop the state agriculture commissioner from fining growers who ship the famous sweet onions before a certain date.

Delbert Bland, who grows Vidalia onions on about 3,000 acres in southeast Georgia, won the first round of a court battle with Commissioner Gary Black when a Fulton County judge ruled March 19th the commissioner overstepped his authority by ordering that no Vidalia onions could be packed for shipping before April 21. However, the farmer's court victory has had little immediate effect. Black is telling growers he still plans to enforce the restriction while the state appeals.

Saying he's got onions ready to ship now, Bland is asking a Superior Court judge on his home turf of Tattnall County to grand an injunction stopping Black until the appeal gets resolved. Mike Bowers, Georgia's former attorney general, represents Bland and was scheduled to argue his case Tuesday in a Reidsville courtroom.

"I've been doing this for 30 years and I've tried to be respectful and nice about it," Bland said Monday. "But he's gone way beyond his duties as commissioner of agriculture."

The legal fight revolves around efforts by the state Department of Agriculture to protect the reputation of Vidalia onions after hearing complaints that the quality of the world-famous crop was suffering because of early harvesting. Georgia law, which dictates the area in which Vidalia onions can be grown, also gives the agriculture commissioner certain powers that include setting a shipping date in consultation with farmers. But the law allows growers to ship onions earlier if federal inspectors give them a U.S. 1 grade.

Black began working with farmers 18 months ago to develop a rule that virtually eliminated early shipments by stating no onions could be packed for sale before the last full week in April, unless there was a consensus crops had ripened sooner. Many growers supported the move, saying it was needed to ensure onions have the proper sweetness and shelf-life.

"We believe this is going to work," Black said in a phone interview Monday. "There may be some nuances that could be altered in the rule in the future, but our commitment to the growers was to help them solve this issue. We have a major responsibility to ensure the consumer can trust in that trademark."

If Black is allowed to move forward with the rule, growers who ship onions before next Monday could be fined up to $5,000 for every bag or box sold early. Farmers could also lose their license to sell onions under the Vidalia trademark.

Bland said he was already boxing onions and meeting with U.S. Department of Agriculture inspectors Monday for his first shipment of the year. He said he typically ships up to 150,000 boxes during the first week of the season, and being prohibited from selling onions he believes are ready for market would cost him serious money.

"If you went through a lifetime to develop a product that people would want, who would lose the most if you shipped it immature?" Bland said. "Onions are the type of commodity that, when they're mature and ready, you've got to harvest them. If you leave them in the field, they're going go bad."

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GM replacing communications, human resources heads

DETROIT — General Motors is replacing the executives in charge of communications and human resources as it struggles with a string of embarrassing recalls that have led to congressional hearings and federal investigations.

Communications chief Selim Bingol and human resources head Melissa Howell are leaving the company to pursue other interests, the company said Monday in a statement.

John Quattrone, who currently is executive director of human resources, will replace Howell, but GM has not yet named a replacement for Bingol, the statement said. The changes are effective immediately.

GM is in the midst of a crisis over safety of some of its older-model vehicles, including 2.6 million small cars worldwide that have been recalled to replace faulty ignition switches. GM says at least 13 deaths have been linked to the switch problem. Family members of those killed say the death toll is much higher.

The switches can unexpectedly slip from the "run" position to "accessory" or "off," shutting down the engine and disabling the power-assisted steering and brakes and the air bags. Without power steering, the cars become difficult to steer, and many drivers have inexplicably gone off the road or into oncoming traffic.

But GM spokesman Greg Martin said the moves are not linked to the recalls. He attributed them to CEO Mary Barra, who took over in February, making her own hires in key positions. "The changes are part of what any company expects during periods of transition, and Mary is building her own team," Martin said.

Bingol, a former head of communications for AT&T, was hired in 2010 by former CEO Ed Whitacre, who once was chief executive of the telecom giant. He stayed through the tenure of CEO Dan Akerson, who stepped down in February and was replaced by product development head Mary Barra.

GM credits Bingol with guiding the communications for the company's successful initial public stock offering in November of 2010, after the company emerged from bankruptcy protection.

Quattrone started working at GM in 1975 at the Fisher Body plant in Syracuse, N.Y. He has held several posts in HR and labor relations for the company since then. Before being promoted, he was the vice president for human resources for GM's engine and transmission operations.

Shares of GM rose 81 cents, or 2.5 percent, to $32.74 in midday trading Monday. They have fallen more than 8 percent since the first of the ignition switch recalls was announced on Feb. 13.

Also Monday, Barra promised employees on a company blog that the company's senior leadership will react quickly to tips from employees about safety problems. GM announced on Thursday a program to recognize and reward employees who speak up when they see something that could affect customer safety.

Company leaders will take action or close safety issues in a timely fashion, Barra promised in the blog.

"This program is an important step toward embedding the customer- and safety-centered culture in every aspect of our business," Barra said in the blog post.

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Report projects health care costs to dip slightly

WASHINGTON — The Affordable Care Act's health insurance subsidies will cost a little less than previously thought, according to a new report released Monday.

The Congressional Budget Office predicts that health insurance subsidies under the so-called "Obamacare" plan will total a little more than $1 trillion over the next 10 years, instead of almost $1.2 trillion initially estimated.

CBO said the 8 percent cut results largely from tighter cost controls by insurance companies offering plans on health care exchanges. Generally speaking, the plans offered on the exchanges pay health care providers less and have tighter management of patients' treatment options, and that means lower premiums and taxpayer subsidies.

Overall, the report is positive news for the White House and its Democratic allies on Capitol Hill, who are under assault politically after the health care law's troubled roll-out and as it remains unpopular with many voters.

Medicaid adds almost $800 billion in costs over the decade. Overall, however, the health care law reduces the deficit because of tax hikes, penalties paid by people and businesses that forgo insurance, and curbs on Medicare.

The report also predicts that premiums won't skyrocket next year as some fear. Insurance companies are no longer allowed to reject people for pre-existing health conditions. But CBO does say that premiums will rise moderately from an average of $3,800 in 2014 to an average of $3,900 for 2015, which would be good news for the Obama administration if the projections panned out.

Premiums have come in lower than CBO projected a few years back. The agency also says that people signing up next year will be younger and healthier than those who enrolled this year.

The new estimates of the health care law are contributing to a slightly improved overall deficit picture. CBO said in a separate report on Monday that federal budget deficits over the coming 10 years will be $286 billion less than estimated in February. This year's deficit would dip to $492 billion from the $514 billion figure cited two months ago.

CBO is a nonpartisan congressional agency that does research and cost estimates for lawmakers.

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