Stocks plunged worldwide Thursday as more signs of economic weakness revived investors' fears of another recession. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 400 points in a return to the wild swings in the market last week.

Foreign students working at a candy warehouse protested conditions and pay for a second day Thursday, chanting on Chocolate Avenue under streetlights shaped like Hershey's Kisses, arguing that they were employed under the guise of a cultural exchange but toil away in what amounts to a sweets sweatshop.

The White House has asked federal agencies to propose ways to cut spending by 10 percent or more for the upcoming budget, underscoring the political jockeying under way as President Barack Obama and Congress prepare for a fiery autumn clash over the economy and the debt.

As the competitive landscape for benefits brokers gets tougher, effectively communicating benefits strategies with clientsand helping them better communicate those strategies with their employees becomes even more critical.