WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has tapped energy executive John Bryson to lead the Commerce Department.

During a White House ceremony Tuesday announcing the appointment, Obama lauded Bryson as, “a business leader who understands what it takes to innovate, create jobs and to persevere through tough times.”

Bryson, 67, is a former chairman and chief executive officer of Edison International, a California-based energy company. He also has an extensive background in environmental issues.

TOKYO — Toyota is recalling 106,000 first-generation Prius hybrid cars globally for faulty steering caused by a nut that may come loose. One minor accident suspected of being related to the problem has been reported in the U.S.Toyota said the latest recall affects 52,000 Prius vehicles in the U.S., starting with the first Prius models that went on sale in 1997, and those manufactured through 2003.Toyota said the loose nut can cause the vehicle, if operated over a long time, to steer with too much force.

WASHINGTON — Home prices in major areas have reached their lowest level since the housing bubble burst in 2006, driven down by foreclosures, a glut of unsold homes and the reluctance or inability of many to buy.Prices fell from February to March in 18 of the metro areas tracked by the Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller 20-city index. And prices in a dozen markets have reached their lowest points since the housing crisis began. The nationwide index fell for the eighth straight month.Prices have now fallen further since the bubble burst than they did in the Great Depression. It took 19 years for the market to regain its losses after the Depression ended.