From NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh.

President Obama surrounded by a bipartisan congressional group has signed the jobs act.

Because this bill, startups, and small business will now have access to a big new pool of potential investors, namely the American people.

This was the second major bill signed at the White House in as many days.

The bills bipartisan supporters say they are confident of job growth under the new law adding to optimism about the jobs market in the US, the Labor Department says new applications for unemployment insurance are down to the lowest level in nearly four years. NPR's Craig Windham has more on the latest indication of strengthening of this market.

The number of new jobless benefit claims has been dropping steadily since last fall. The four-week moving average of claims which is a less volatile measure is at the lowest level since April, 2008. Sam Stovall is chief equity strategist for S&P Capital IQ.

Now that we are seeing an improve in the economic growth, employers are now responding.

Responding, he says, by adding jobs instead of just working current employees harder. A separate report out today shows the number of planned lay-off ** by businesses fell in March to the lowest level in 10 months. Craig Windham, NPR News, Washington.

A British TV news broadcaster, that's part of Rupert Murdoch's media empire is at meeting. It has twice authorized a journalist to hack into e-mail. NPR's Philip Reeves reports it happened at Sky News.

Sky News says its executives authorized a journalist to hack into e-mails on two occasions. It says both cases were in the public interest as they involve suspected criminals. One was a man accused of faking his own death. Sky says the resulting material helped the police secure a successful prosecution. Sky News is part of the  TV satellite giant, BSkyB, in which Rupert Murdoch's news corp has a controlling stake. An independent regulator is investigating whether news corp in a fit and proper proprietor. On Tuesday, Murdoch's son James resigned as BSkyB's chairman, indicating he wanted to prevent the company being damaged by scandals in Gulf and other parts of the Murdoch media empire. Philip Reeves, NPR News, London.

A wealthy Egyptian businessman is formally the Muslim brotherhood's candidate for president to Veja. Today, Khairat el Shater told register to run in an election, whereas main rivals will be other Islamist and those who served under ousted leader Hosni Mubarak. Meanwhile, members of the Muslim brotherhood have been making the runs in Washington this week, to reassure the US-heir committed to Democracy. Egyptian lawmaker Abdul Mawgoud Dardery explains why his group reversed its decision and entered the race. 

People are now demanding, We would like to see the  ** of the revolution, we would like to see different roots of the revolution. Dardery speaking to NPR's All Things Considered.

Dow was down more than 20 points.

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Two years ago, today an explosion ripped through Massey Energy's upper big branch coal mine in west Virginia. NPR's Howard Berkes reports 29 workers were killed in a tragedy, blamed on company practices and failed regulation.

Two years after the nation's worst mine disaster in four decades, multiple investigations blamed mine owner Massey Energy for putting production before safety. The mine safety and health administration is also blamed, for failing to use its toughest enforcement tools despite repeated and persistent safety violations. The mine safety agency has since targeted troublesome minds with surprise and inspections. But congress has failed to enact tougher mine safety laws. Federal prosecutors have one criminal conviction and two guilty police so far, but not for anything directly related to the explosion, they say their investigation is ongoing. Howard Berkes, NPR News.

A healthcare think tank funded by Newt Gingrich has filed for bankruptcy. The center for health transformation's debt is reported to be as much as ten million dollars. Gingrich's attorney says Republican candidate divested his interest in the think tank as he prepared to run for the president.

In Greece, more protest is expected tonight against the country's austerity measures. The public was moved to rally yesterday just hours after an elderly retired rekilled himself at of an apparent despair that he would not be able to survive on his pension. He left behind a suicide note in which he rails against the country's political leaders for their handling of the financial crisis. But the prime minister is offering a glimmer hope today. He says the economy could grow as much as 3% in the next two years.

I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News, in Washington.