Charles Blahous, a George Mason University research fellow, reports that the new health care law could add $530 billion to the deficit. (Washington Post)

Fed Chairman Bernanke says many banks need larger capital buffers. (Reuters)

Facebook to buy Instagram for $1 billion. (Reuters)

Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) outbids Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) for key AOL (NYSE: AOL) patents. (Reuters)

Sony (NYSE: SNE) says it will lose $6.4 billion for the year, more than twice recent estimates. (Reuters)

Major wireless carriers will create a database to track stolen phones. (Reuters)

President Obama puts additional support behind the “Buffett tax.” (WSJ)

China has a large trade surplus in February. (WSJ)

The former CEO of E*Trade (NASDAQ: ETFC) may be the new CEO of Freddie Mac. (WSJ)

Oil leaks in the North Sea keep Brent crude prices high. (WSJ)

The FDA is troubled by its failure to screen faulty heart-defibrillator wires. (WSJ)

Chesapeake Energy (NYSE: CHK) to raise $3.6 billion to help offset low natural gas prices. (WSJ)

Tumi will raise $319.6 million via an initial public offering. (WSJ)

Toyota (NYSE: TM) sets up new R&D procedures to speed decisions. (WSJ)

European companies borrow more from bondholders than from banks in the first quarter. (WSJ)

Honda (NYSE: HMC) to push for more growth in China. (NYT)

More states push for higher minimum wages. (NYT)

U.S. regulations help increase imports of ethanol from Brazil. (FT)

Leaders in Spain continue to press their case that the nation will not need a bailout. (Bloomberg)

First-quarter profits likely will be hit by slowdowns in consumer spending in Europe. (Bloomberg)

German exports rise in February. (Bloomberg)

Douglas A. McIntyre

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