Also

* Sempra Energy, San Diego-based parent of Southern California Gas Co., said its liquefied natural gas unit won a contract worth $1.4 billion over 15 years to supply gas to Mexico’s state-owned Comision Federal de Electricidad. The contract will run from 2008 to 2022.

* Microsoft Corp. Chief Financial Officer John Connors said he would leave the world’s largest software maker after 16 years to become a partner at a Seattle-area venture capital firm.

* Health spending in the U.S. rose 7.6% to $1.68 trillion in 2003, the slowest increase in seven years, the government said. Reasons given included state and federal programs that cut benefits, tightened eligibility guidelines and paid less to hospitals and nursing homes.

* General Motors Corp. is recalling 98,221 Chevrolet and GMC pickups, vans and sport utility vehicles because the steering wheels and brakes may not work properly, federal safety regulators said. The recalled vehicles are the 2000 model year Chevrolet C/K and Silverado pickups and Suburban SUV and the GMC Savana van, Sierra pickup and Yukon XL SUV.