here's hampton pearson. >> reporter: despite the harsh winter weather nation-wide, that kept more than 7 million workers at home for at least part of the month, employers stepped up hiring. job gains beat forecasts by 46,000, renewing hopes that jobs and growth could accelerate this year. >> obviously we were somewhat upset by the polar vortex. but i think that this reaffirms that grow pattern, that in fact not only is the economy growing but it's accelerating. >> reporter: for those with jobs, average hourly pay was up 9 cents to just over $24 an hour. it's the biggest monthly gain in eight months. with hourly wages up 2.2% in the last 12 months, ahead of the inflation rate. but labor secretary tom perez says we can do better. >> real wages are up slightly. but way too many people are still working hard and falling behind. we've seen productivity since 1980 or so has gone up over 90%, real wages have gone up something like 3%. >> reporter: even the increase in the unemployment rate to 6.7% was a good thing. it went up because more people began looking for work. carmax, the nation's la

i myself am a big hampton pearson fan. class act. he's a guy who probably opens up the door for a lady. we love you, hampton. taking a live look at your radar, not a lot to show you. i want to tell you right now it's going to get active later on today so grab that umbrella, make sure you have your coat this morning. temps are in the 40s in some cities. and it's feeling like winter out there with a winter storm. very, very close to the bay area at this point. although we're not feeling the impact yet it's going to come in so quickly. i can tell you that. and the winds are going to be fierce today. this is what we're working with. temperatures mostly in the 50s, we do have quite a few 40s. 48 along the peninsula, north bay this morning waking up with 45 degrees. so today's going to be cool, only climbing into the upper 50s. no 60s on the map. that means you're going to need your coat about all day long. this is a cold system. before the front comes through i stop futurecast at 2:00 p.m. and you want to look at the key. you get the warme

hampton pearson joins us now from washington with more. what deal, hampton, did the senate agree to and what are the chances that it's going to pass? >> reporter: well, tyler, first of all late this afternoon there was a bipartisan group of ten senators announcing an agreement to reauthorize long-term unemployment benefits for five months. and if passed by both houses and signed by the president, those benefits woulden paid retroactively back to the end of the year when they expired. an estimated 2 million americans have lost those emergency unemployment insurance coverage. the key sticking point in breaking a political logjam all along has been how to pay for the extension. this agreement does that by extending some customs fees that were part of the recent budget deal and also making some changes in federal pension programs. now fact that it is a bipartisan agreement is the key to getting past of course that 60-vote filibuster-proof threshold that you always have to deal with in the senate. now the senate, however, is about to take a ten-

hampton pearson has more. >> reporter: with the april 15th tax deadline a little more than three weeks away both the irs and the top treasury department troubleshooter are warning taxpayers about what they say is the largest ever telephone fraud scam. more than 20,000 taxpayers in nearly every state in the country have collectively paid over $1 million to telephone scammers and con artists in recent months. individual claiming to be irs agents on the phone demanding debit card payments or a wire transfer. the scammers threaten their victims with arrests, deportation, or loss of their driver's license if they refuse to pay. the irs says its first contact with people about unpaid taxes is usually by mail, not the telephone. and no one from the irs asks for payment using a prepaid debit card, wire transfer and does not take credit card numbers over the phone. if you owe taxes or think you may owe federal taxes, hang up and call the irs at 800-829-1040. >> this is the second time in the last six months the irs has put out an alert about this particular telephone scam which as we said has g

hampton pearson has more. >> reporter: outside the supreme court, early spring snow didn't dampen theusiasm of those on both sides of the constitutional challenge to the so-called contraceptive mandate in the affordable care act. women's rights activists begging justices to uphold the obamacare requirement that employers provide birth control coverage at no extra charge. faith groups supporting the challenge from two family-run businesses that offering contraception violates their religious beliefs. the owners of oklahoma retail giant hobby lobby with 600 scores and 13,000 employees are facing $100 a day fines that could cost the business $475 million a year for not providing contraception coverage. the firm is among at least 50 for-profit corporations nation-wide claiming a religious fais exemption from the health care law. >> anytime the government is telling you, your option is to pay a fine instead of practice your religion, that's a substantial burden. and what congress said and what the first amendment says is that religious freedom, not being fined by the government, not being

hampton pearson has more on the controversial proposal. >> reporter: president obama wants the labor department to revamp regulations to require overtime pay for the millions of fast food supervisors and convenience store managers and others who routinely work 50 to 60 hours a week without getting overtime pay. right now, if you make $455 a week, roughly $24,000 a year, your employer does not have to pay you overtime over that threshold. the labor department benchmark hasn't changed since 2004. >> the president believes that if you're making $25,000 a year and you're working 60 hours a week you should be getting paid for the extra hours you work. and that's what this is about. >> reporter: the administration has not said where it wants to set the new threshold, but the economic policy institute, a progressive washington think tank wants to double the benchmark. it estimates an additional 5 to 10 million workers might then become eligible for overtime. >> the whole purpose of this really toys make sure that people are better paid, that workers have more money in their pocket. we've go

for "nightly business report," i'm hampton pearson in washington. >>> some discouraging data about the job market and long-term unemployed, a new princeton university study finds that only 11% of americans who have been jobless for more than six months will ever retain steady full-time work. 3.8 million people, that's about 37% of all out of work americans, are considered to be among the long-term unemployed. >>> now to the crisis in ukraine, be president obama announcing new sanctions against russia targeting specific russian officials and a russian bank. over that annexation of crimea. but the white house admits now the impact could actually hurt the global economy. >> this is not our preferred outcome. these sanctions would not only have a significant impact on the russian economy but could also be disruptive to the global economy. however, russia must know that further escalation will only isolate it further from the international community. >> well, eamon javers joins us now from washington with more. the president targeted among other russian officials russian cronies, he says, o

hampton pearson joins us now with all the details.ening. >> larry, this is the second major constitutional challenge to obamacare. there were demonstrators both for and against the two family-owned businesses that say covering certain birth control methods violates their rmgs beliefs. the oral argument inside the court focused on whether prof - profit-making businesses have rights. the supreme court has never ruled on that before. the three women justices questioned whether a favorable business ruling would open the door to piecemeal challenges to things like blood transfusions or vaccinations based on religious grounds. justice anthony kennedy so often the likely swing vote once again he really challenged both sides, pointing out if the government's logic for fail, it's possible a corporation might be required to pay for abortions. but he also expressed concerns about the rights of female employees, if their employers, for example, might be conservative and order conservative dress based on their religious beliefs. chief justice robe

looking sharp. >> thank you. >> is there anything not to like about hampton pearson? >> we think hampton is sharp. >> also looking nice is there anything not to like about this forecast? >> well, a couple things, pollen levels are going to go up. essentially the little ones too, you feel so bad for them. it's one of those things either you are allergic or you're not. and a lot of times people are coming in sniffling, half the newsroom is doing okay. the pollen levels aren't that high now but what i can tell you is they are going to creep up through this weekend. so keep that in mind. right now we're doing okay, temperatures mostly in the 50s, headed to the upper 60s by lunch time. then we're going to level off your temperatures as we head throughout the second half of the day and the onshore flow returns. it's off shore flow that kept us warm. throughout the day today coastal low clouds will roll in as we head throughout the evening so temperatures right now pretty mild out there. mostly in the 50s headed to the upper 70s. peninsula at 78, 79 degrees out in the tri-val

hampton pearson joins us more from washington with more. what are we going to learn?louisa. the fed will publish results of those stress tests. this afternoon, most likely after the closing bell on wall street. here is the way it works. a group of 30 banks are taking part in this year's test, up from 18 last year. they've become increasingly important tool for regulators to ensure that the banks aren't eating too much into their capital cushions, examining how they would weather a major potential market shock. now, the tests determine how much captain banks can return to investors through dividends and share buybacks and whether they can ramp up their profit targets if the fed fientsdz any of the 30 banks are at risk, they'll have a few days to change their capital plans. analysts expect more banks to pass, but last year american express had to lower its capital distribution plans. the first chunk is designed to show bank's relative strength if each bank made the same competitive move. last year, only allied financial failed to meet that minimum 5% capital buffer in t

for "nightly business report," i'm hampton pearson in washington. >>> shares of ann inc. popped on better than expected,ings report. the retailer whose brands include ann taylor and loft posted earnings that almost doubled as gross margins improved and sales grew. the company also announced a restructuring plan. it will cut 100 corporate jobs. that will save about $25 million a year. shares rose more than 7.5% to $37.53. shares of general mills fell after the company warned that third quarter earnings will come in below forecasts. the maker of cheerios and yoplait yogurt blamed it on increasing competition from cheaper private label foods as well as negative currency effects. general mills releases its quarterly report on wednesday. ahead of that the stock was down almost 2.5% to 49.77. >>> cath light makes software that helps track health care costs. the company southerned to $39.80 the. cisco investigating whether some of its activity in russia and neighboring countries violated u.s. laws that banned bribes to foreign officials. the network equipmentmaker launched the p

. >> let's go now to hampton pearson with a cnbc market wrap. >> let's take a look at house stand goingts. the s&p off about 9.5 and the nasdaq down by 27 points. that's it from cnbc. first in business worldwide. ♪ >>> [ male announcer ] this is karen and jeremiah. they don't know it yet, but they're gonna fall in love, get married, have a couple of kids, [ children laughing ] move to the country, and live a long, happy life together where they almost never fight about money. [ dog barks ] because right after they get married, they'll find some financial folks who will talk to them about preparing early for retirement and be able to focus on other things, like each other, which isn't rocket science. it's just common sense. from td ameritrade. where their electricity comes from. they flip the switch-- and the light comes on. it's our job to make sure that it does. using natural gas this power plant can produce enough energy for about 600,000 homes. generating electricity that's cleaner and reliable, with fewer emissions-- it matters. ♪ (music) defiance is in our bones. defiance never gro

but first, hampton pearson has a market wrapup. >>> let's look at stocks going into the weekend.aining 59 points, the s&p up 9, the nasdaq earning five points. that's it from cnbc, first in business worldwide. ♪ [ girl ] my mom, she makes underwater fans that are powered by the moon. ♪ she can print amazing things, right from her computer. [ whirring ] [ train whistle blows ] she makes trains that are friends with trees. ♪ my mom works at ge. ♪ add vanishing deductible from nationwide insurance and get $100 off for every year of safe driving. we put members first. join the nation. ♪ nationwide is on your side ♪ see what's new at projectluna.com >>> just this afternoon, president obama signed an order declaring next monday cesar chavez day to honor the transformational civil rights and labor leader. meanwhile today, the first feature film about chavez hits the big screens. alex sat down with the director and cast to talk about chavez's life and legacy. . . >> this is the story of a father and a son. this is a story of a father and a husband and a wife. >> i'm angry, too. i'm angry

. >>> i'm hampton pearson with your market wrap. a down day for stocks. dow falls 67 points.s off 9. the nasdaq sheds 27 points. >>> gm shares slid more than 5% today. according to reports, federal prosecutors in new york are launching a criminal investigation into the company's ignition switch recall. the problem is linked to 13 deaths. >>> testla shares lost ground after new jersey banned the direct sale of vehicles to consumers. the company is criticizing the move. that's it from cnbc first in business worldwide. are you still sleeping? just wanted to check and make sure that we were on schedule. the first technology of its kind... mom and dad, i have great news. is now providing answers families need. siemens. answers. smoke? nah, i'm good. [ male announcer ] celebrate every win with nicoderm cq, the unique patch with time release smartcontrol technology that helps prevent the urge to smoke all day long. help prevent your cravings with nicoderm cq. that helps prevent the urge to smoke all day long. ido more with less with buless energy. hp is helping ups do just that. soo

. >>> for a look at the other stories making business headline we turn to hampton pearson. good morning. >> how you doing, scott. first we do have futures which are higher, as the markets really come off a mixed week. the nasdaq was dragged lower by tech names like facebook and twitter, as well as the biotech sectors that managed a small game. the dow and the nasdaq are poised to snap their winning streak. look for manufacturing and fed chair janet yellen speaking to a conference in chicago. the dow rising 58 friday to close at 16,323 t nasdaq edging up 4 points to close at 4155. caterpillar is set to defend its income tax practices this week. a senate subcommittee is hauling the company in on tuesday to explain strategies it uses to shrink its corporate tax bill. at issue caterpillar's restructuring which did help it reduce taxes, particularly on sales of parts to foreign customers. the company says it's effective tax rate is relatively high at 29% despite those strategies. a look at business headlines, back to you and nice to hear about all of that late rain, i know you g

. >> i'm hampton pearson with your cnbc market wrap. early gains fade. and the nasdaq down 16 points. >> last month's gain reversed two straight months of losses. king digital, the maker of candy crush, fell more than 15% in its first day of trading. and facebook shares ended lower after announcing its purchase of oculus, a maker of virtual reality headsets. that's it from cnbc, first in business worldwide. let's say you pay your guy around 2 percent to manage your money. that's not much, you think except it's 2 percent every year. go to e*trade and find out how much our advice and guidance costs. spoiler alert. it's low. it's guidance on your terms not ours. e*trade. less for us, more for you. in fact, they depend on a unique set of nutrients. [ male announcer ] that's why there's ocuvite to help protect your eye health. as you age, your eyes can lose vital nutrients. ocuvite helps replenish key eye nutrients. ocuvite is a vitamin made just for your eyes from the eye care experts at bausch + lomb. ocuvite has a unique formula that's just not found in an

. >> i'm hampton pearson with your cnbc market rap. the s&p gained 8, nasdaq up 4.mer spending rose in february as americans spent more on health care and utilities. meantime, consumer sentiment fell in march to its lowest level in four months. a sign that consumers are concerned about the economy. starting monday, mcdonald's will give away free cups of coffee to its breakfast crowd. the deal will last for two weeks. that it's it from cnbc, first in business worldwide. are you still sleeping? just wanted to check and make sure that we were on schedule. the first technology of its kind... mom and dad, i have great news. is now providing answers families need. siemens. answers. the owner of a vehicle, with a bumper sticker, "turrible" your lights are on. you wanna get that genius? not mine. on the passenger seat, there is a collection of charles barkley highlight dvds. . and the license plate reads "sir charles." i'm gonna get some drinks with my capital one venture card. be right back. earn unlimited double miles with no blackout dates from the capital one venture ca

cnbc's hampton pearson is in washington with the latest. hampton, how tough is it going to be?h it could be for gm's mary barra on capitol hill this week testifying at two hearings into the company's recall of faulty ignition switches. the house energy and commerce committee gets the first crack on today. in a mel row released by the panel on sunday, lawmakers say it provided a national administration day containing, quote, unsettling information. it looks into the timeline of actions taken by gm from the 1990s to last friday when they recalled several vehicles. switches in the chevy cobalt and others were bumped into accessory mode while the cars were moving which could stall the engine and disable power steering, brakes and air bags leading to dozens of crashes and 13 deaths. now that memo says gm knew about the issue as early did. delphi told investigators last week that gm have improve d sine 2005. gm engineers discussed separate action but didn't take action because they believed they would take too long and cost too much. now we also have a company under fire to order a r

hampton pearson is in washington with headlines. on capitol hill testifying before the senate appropriations subcommittee, specifically not about tesla but his private rocket companies spacex they are competing for government contracts in national security launch programs. right now united launch alliance a joint venture when lockheed martin and boeing is the sole-source provider for the major satellite launch program. but the defense department wants to open it up to competition. spacex which already has a $1.6 billion contract to make a dozen robotic supply runs to the nasa space station, they want to compete in the major satellite launch program. musk says spacex can save taxpayers money and does not need big government subsidies. >> according to congressional records in fy-13 the air force paid an average of $380 million for each -- spacex's price is well under $100 million. meaning a savings of almost $300 million per launch. >> now, also on today's panel an official from the government watchdog agency the general accountabilit