Tuesday morning headlines

Stocks around the line: After yesterday's big gain, look for a breather today, especially with another decline in home prices. Dow is down a few points.

Gas update: Prices remain flat - an average gallon of regular in the L.A. area is $4.364, basically unchanged from Monday, according to the Auto Club. Prices have been hovering around this level for more than a week.

Dip in consumer confidence: The Conference Board's index is at 70.2, down from 71.6 last month and about in line with expectations. From press release:

Says Lynn Franco, Director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Center: "Consumer Confidence pulled back slightly in March, after rising sharply in February. The moderate decline was due solely to a less favorable short-term outlook, while consumers' assessment of current conditions, on the other hand, continued to improve. The Present Situation Index now stands at its highest level in three and a half years (61.1, Sept. 2008), suggesting that despite this month's dip in confidence, consumers feel the economy is not losing momentum."

Airlines raising fares: Blame higher fuel costs for the increases, which range from $4 to $10 per round trip. It's the third fare hike this year. (LAT)

L.A. home prices creep lower: They're down 0.8 percent from December to January and down 5.4 percent from January 2011, according to the Case-Shiller Index. Prices fell in most metro areas. (press release)

Health care arguments, Day 2: This morning it's the individual mandate, which is at the core of the health care overhaul. From the NYT:

The law's challengers -- 26 states led by Florida, the National Federation of Independent Business and several individuals -- present the central question as one of individual liberty. May the federal government, they ask, compel individuals not engaged in commerce to buy a product, here health insurance, from private companies? The Obama administration, by contrast, urges the court to answer a different question. May Congress decide, in fashioning a comprehensive response to a national crisis in the health care market, to regulate how people pay for the health care they will almost inevitably need?

CVS shutters Beauty 360 stores: Four of the locations are in Socal. The idea was to offer more prestigious brands than a typical CVS store, but the offshoot faced a bunch of competitors. (LAT)

Most rented movie in 2011: Top honors go to the Bruce Willis action-comedy "Red," followed by "Due Date" and "Little Fockers" - none of which had huge box office runs. (LAT)