AP NewsWatch 5:30 p.m. EDT

I'm Ben Thomas with NAP News Minute.

Lots of numbers today.

The government's first look at first quarter economic growth

showed GDP expanding at a modest 2% pace,

rebounding from a lackluster 0.5% expansion

in the last three months of 2025.

Growth and consumer spending slowed,

but business investment, likely driven by AI,

rose at an 8.7% pace.

Saga Megani has the Commerce Department's monthly inflation

gauge.

Compared with a year ago, consumer prices rose

at 3.5%, the biggest hike in nearly three years.

Gas prices jumped nearly 21% in March from the previous month.

With the latest comments on the Iran War

suggesting an ends not in the offing, oil prices whips on,

while U.S. gasoline prices jumped again overnight,

AAA putting the national average at $4.30 per gallon.

Still, stocks rallied on strong profit reports,

the Dow gaining 790 points.

The S&P 1%, the NASDAQ 0.9%.